Building Hope
by shellshock81
Summary: Edward has devoted himself to improving the lives of at-risk youth, but his Home for Hope can't keep them off the streets at night. Enter Emmett McCarty, the man who can single-handedly fund his dreams. They say to never mix business with pleasure, but maybe it'll be okay just this once.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns these characters. I've just borrowed them because I love them so much.**

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**Prologue **

"Aauughh!" Edward's stress ball hit the opposite wall with an unsatisfying thump before landing harmlessly on the hardwood floor. He'd wanted to hear the gratifying crunch of something, _anything_, shattering into tiny pieces to somehow match his out-of-control feelings.

"Fuck," he spat, his eyes finding nothing in his sparsely decorated office he was willing to destroy in his fit of rage. Not for Emmett _fucking_ McCarty, anyway.

Edward had known the first time he'd met Emmett that for all his net worth and influential contacts, he would bring nothing but trouble. He'd had a feeling that Emmett should be kept at an arm's length after the first night they met. After donating enough money to Home for Hope to feed a small country, the fucker had somehow managed to charm Edward's pants off and was now bringing him nothing but heartache.

Edward glanced at the door the object of his ire had walked out of not five minutes ago and sighed. Edward was used to not being enough for the people in his life who were supposed to give a damn. Better it happened now really, before he actually fell in love with the man.

Edward heard the front door swing open, banging loudly against the wall. He steeled himself for whatever Emmett had come back to say, damned if he was going to let Emmett talk his way back into his life.

"Edward!"

"I told you I—" Edward started, determined to shut Emmett down before he had a chance to beg for forgiveness, but Emmett cut him off.

"Fuck, Edward! I don't know what happened. I found him stumbling toward the center like this."

Edward's heart dropped into his stomach with a deafening _thud_ as he took in the sight of Emmett's strong arms cradling one of his teens. "Seth," he breathed, frozen in shock for a moment before jumping into action. "Shit! Bring him in my office. Is he conscious?"

"Barely. He's mumbled your name a few times and lashed out once, but other than that he's deadweight."

Once Emmett laid the boy on the faded couch, Edward's critical eyes scanned Seth's body as he catalogued the injuries. His stomach churned at each ugly, purple abrasion, and the bile rose in his throat when he saw a perfectly shaped boot print on Seth's ribs, red and purple and merciless. "Who the hell did this to you?" he demanded, not expecting an answer. Edward contemplated bringing Seth to the ER as he watched one of his arms flail out while the other clutched at his side.

"Don't do it, man," Emmett said, as if reading Edward's thoughts. "You know if you take him to the hospital, they'll either contact his parents or throw him in the system again."

"What am I supposed to do? I can't let him stay here." Edward ripped the beanie off of his head and desperately tugged at the ends of his matted down hair. "Social workers are in here every other day since we started renovating the inn. They'll shut the entire place down if they find an underage kid in here overnight—especially one looking like this!"

Emmett was silent for a moment, his face twisted in uncertainty then smoothing into determination. "Call Rose. If she clears him, I'll take him home with me."

Disbelieving eyes met Emmett's grim face. "What?"

Emmett ground his teeth together as he stared down at the black and blue face of a fifteen-year-old boy who had more courage in his little finger than Emmett had in his own entire body.

"He can stay with me. For as long as he needs."

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**A/N: WHEE! I'm finally back! Couple of housekeeping things.**

**PLEASE READ! I've done a lot of research for this and will have to do a lot more. It's a heavy topic with laws that vary from state to state and are often overlooked—sometimes to help the victims and other times to ignore them. Many of my resources/information come from a friend of mine who teaches classes for foster parents and is heavily involved in LGBT youth. This is still a work of fiction though, so please keep that in mind.**

**THANK YOU to everyone who's helped me with this. Alexander Vaughn made my GORGEOUS banner (link on profile) for me and was so sweet every time I asked him to tweak Edward just a little bit. Bornonhalloween, Intricacy Alterite, Robsmyyummy Cabanaboy, and Whiti Shades are pre-reading for me again, and I swear I couldn't do it without them. And chayasara is whipping all of my commas and comma splices and offering her own words of wisdom again, too. I have to thank Les Sharpe, also, who lets me bug her with questions about writing in third person. She's going to be rolling her eyes at me soon. I have the best team EVAR! **

**Okay… that's it! Thanks for reading! I'd love it if you dropped me a line and let me know you're here!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Beginnings

**Chapter 2**

Edward Masen was certain he had the best job in the world. There was nothing more satisfying than seeing one of his LGBT youth 'graduate' out of his Home for Hope and move on in his or her life with a real job, a place to live, and a reliable support system. Some of his youth even took those first tentative steps together—sticking with people they'd met during their time at H4H, holding onto friendships that would last a lifetime. The center had given these kids not only food and sometimes shelter, but understood who they were, what they were going through, and had provided them with the necessary tools to succeed in life.

So on mornings like this, when everything he touched turned to shit, Edward was usually able to keep a positive outlook. When he'd woken up and discovered his coffeemaker was broken, he'd quickly decided that rather than walk the two blocks to work, he'd drive to the local Panera and bring in coffee and bagels for everyone. His glass-half-full attitude dwindled a little when he started to pull out of his parking spot and discovered he had a flat tire. His last ditch effort at remaining positive as he dragged his way to work was visualizing the center's coffee pot full of the hot, bitter liquid.

Edward walked past the empty front desk and groaned, remembering he'd have to field incoming calls again today since he'd given his secretary a well-deserved two days off. She'd been putting in nearly as many hours as he had the past several weeks, but Shelly Cope had a family to go home to each night, and Edward's guilt-ridden conscience had forced her to take the time off.

He could've wept with joy when he saw his sister, Alice, flipping through a magazine with her feet propped on his desk and a cup of steaming, over-priced coffee waiting for him. Somewhere during the six years he'd lived with Carlisle and Esme Cullen, first as part of the system and then because they would've never thought of kicking him out until he had a place to go, Alice had become his sister. And just like a blood sibling, Alice drove him up the wall sometimes and today was no exception.

"Come on, Edward," Alice whined. "Just one date. You haven't gone out with anyone in forever, and he's really cute and totally your type."

Edward took a sip of his coffee to keep from groaning again. This was a hell of a price to pay for a cup of coffee. "And what exactly is my type?"

Alice waved her hand around as she spoke. "You know, tall … manly … likes guys."

Edward shoved her feet off his desk as he looked at her. "Tsk, tsk, Alice. Remember your sensitivity training. No need to be so stereotypical."

"Psht! You know I'm just kidding. Seriously though, this guy is awesome. He can cook. He runs the local SPCA—you love dogs—and his favorite hobby is reading. He's perfect for your nerdy ass!"

"Aww … that's sweet. Does he like holding hands and taking long walks on the beach, too?"

Alice punched Edward on his bicep. "Just for that, I'm telling him you're free on Friday."

Flopping back in the seat, Edward ran his fingers through his hair. He studied his sister while she studied her magazine. "Can we at least put if off until after the fundraiser? You know how important this is."

"No, because after the fundraiser, you'll come up with another reason to put it off, and after that, something else. Why're you suddenly in this no-dating funk? If I didn't know better, I'd think you're actually straight and too ashamed to tell me. So, Friday it is."

"I hate you sometimes."

"I'm sure you do." Alice smiled sweetly at him. "Will you be able to pick out something suitable to wear, or should I come by first?"

"I think I can dress myself just fine."

Alice stared at Edward, taking in his black beanie with tufts of his reddish-blond, unruly hair sticking out, square black glasses, faded long-sleeved hoodie tee, and threadbare jeans. "Are you sure you're not straight? I swear you dressed better than this when we lived at home. I'll pick you up here at five on Friday and give you a lift home," Alice said, ignoring Edward when he flipped her off. "That way I can make sure you don't bail and that you don't look like a hobo."

"Awesome. Is there anything else, or are you done berating me for the day?"

Alice finally threw her magazine down and leaned toward her brother. "I do happen to have some news that should pull your head out of your ass. What's wrong with you? This is more than your usual Mr. Grumpus morning routine."

"Sorry. It's just been a crappy morning, and I really do have a shit-ton of work to do before the fundraiser. You know how important it is, and we haven't gotten as many sponsors as I'd hoped."

"Well, then I'm about to make your day!" Alice chirped out her tease and waited for Edward to take the bait. He knew better than to get too excited—good news from Alice usually involved finding the perfect outfit. He twirled his hand for her to continue. "Emmett McCarty of McCarty Steel responded for the fundraiser. He's coming with a plus one."

Edward stared at his sister, his mouth gaping. "Shut. The fuck. Up. Are you messing with me? I swear I'll wring your tiny neck if you're messing with me."

"Not a chance. I went through your mail while I was waiting for you—might want to get on that by the way—and saw it."

Edward had been so busy yesterday, he hadn't given the stack of mail on his desk more than a passing glance. He ignored Alice's comment and snatched the card out of her hand to see for himself.

"Plus one, huh," he mused. "Wonder who he'll bring."

"I don't know, but I bet she's blonde," Alice sang.

Edward rolled his eyes. "With a huge rack."

"Shame on you, Edward! I didn't know you noticed such things."

"Hard to miss when they're right there on display. Besides, noticing and liking are two different things."

"His dates are usually pretty hard to miss."

"Well, I don't care who he brings as long as he comes with his checkbook. Do you know what this could mean for us? McCarty could buy that inn outright, and it would be the same as me splurging for an appetizer and dessert at Olive Garden for dinner. I wonder what in the hell made him decide to deem us worthy of his presence?"

"Who knows? Maybe he's tired of motor-boating those blonde bimbos and wants to switch teams." Alice raised her eyebrows and slid her tongue between her teeth while shimmying her chest.

Edward shook his head and looked back down at the card in his hand. "I'll give him something to motorboat," he mumbled.

"Eww! Gross. TMI, dude. T. M. I."

"Don't knock it 'til you try it. Besides, you're the one who wants me to get back out there. He could be my sugar daddy. I'll never have to work another day in my life. I can just pop in on you guys whenever I deem you worthy."

"Pffft. Yeah, right. You wouldn't make it one day. You'd be lost without this place." She looked out the office window as a few kids walked by, each one tossing a hand up to wave. "Those kids are your life."

She was right. They both knew it.

"Meh. They're all right, I guess," Edward said as one of the newer guys poked his head in the door.

"Hey, Edward … Alice," Seth greeted. "You up for some one-on-one later, Edward?"

"Sure, as long as you're up for getting schooled by an old man."

"I think I'll risk it," he grinned.

"What're you doing here so early? Isn't it a school day?" Edward asked.

Home for Hope never turned away anyone in need, but every school-aged teen that walked through its front doors knew they were expected to show up to school every day. It was a fine line the center walked, doing its best to sympathize with the students while still encouraging them to attend their classes and be the best person they could be, regardless of their sexual orientation.

"Nope! Teacher workday!"

"Ah, right. I'll be out there in a few. Why don't you go practice? I don't want you to pull something while I'm embarrassing you."

Seth shook his head and turned to leave, mumbling, "I can't believe I'm friends with such a dork."

"You love it!" Edward yelled after him.

"You know," Alice began, her voice softening, "there's a small chance you'd get out of here before midnight every night if you spent most of your day focusing on your work instead of those kids."

Edward sighed. He knew she just wanted him to have his own life. Meet new people. Go out on dates. Hell, hang out with the friends he already had. Her words told him to carve out some time for himself, but her tone … it held nothing but admiration and respect. Alice knew that Edward's kids came first, and the most she could ever bully him into was a night off here and there. He would never give up his one-on-one time with the youth that came to his center in need of something they couldn't find at home. This place ran on others' willingness to donate time and money, and while H4H received enough of both to support a small full-time staff, it was never _really _enough. Edward did everything he could to fill the gaps himself. His gut twisted as the cold reality settled deep in the pit of his belly once again.

Nothing they did here would ever be enough.

LGBT youth were still being tormented in school. Tormented in life. They were teased, berated, beaten up, and worst of all turned away by their own parents. All for being honest about who they were ... who they loved. Even though LGBT teens represented only about three percent of all youth, they accounted for forty percent of all homeless teens. It was a horrifying statistic that Edward had narrowly escaped becoming a part of himself. Unfortunately, too many teens were forced out of their homes or forced into choosing the streets daily. H4H's two on-staff therapists were godsends when it came to mentoring these kids, but if Edward could help make someone's day brighter by playing a game of basketball or letting someone kick his ass in Call of Duty … well, it wasn't even a question.

And there was nothing anyone could say that could change his mind.

**H4H**

Edward strolled into Mangowood Restaurant five minutes early, wearing his Alice-approved outfit of vintage, slim fit jeans and a dark blue cable sweater. He'd even worn his contacts and gelled and scrunched his hair per her orders. The restaurant wasn't exactly in town, but it was one of the best places around to eat. Edward decided to go ahead and sit, wanting to avoid the awkward meet and greet at the door. He hadn't even taken his first sip of water before the hostess was heading his way again.

At least Alice was right about one thing: the guy was drop-dead gorgeous. Garrett wore black jeans with a black button-up shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and when his eyes landed on Edward, he offered a smile that showed off the barest hint of a dimple in his left cheek, almost hidden behind his day-old scruff. He kept his dirty-blond hair somewhat short and swept to the side. Edward's stomach flipped as he pictured himself running his fingers through the blond hair.

Edward stood as Garrett approached and held out his hand. Garrett's hand was warm inside his own, and Edward couldn't help but smile back when the other man's hazel eyes crinkled at the corners.

"Hey, you must be Garrett," Edward spoke first, letting go of his hand and taking his seat again.

"Guilty," he grinned. "It's good to finally meet you. Alice and Irina have been talking you up forever."

Edward's cheeks flushed pink. "Sorry about that. You can probably ignore most of what Alice said; she tends to exaggerate."

"No way!" Garrett sounded shocked. "According to Alice, the sun rises with your shining face. If that's not the case tomorrow, I'm filing a complaint!"

Laughing, Edward buried said face in his hands. "She can be such a brat sometimes. I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's cool. It's nice that she's proud of you, and honestly, if even half of what she says is true, she has every right to be. It sounds like you're doing a lot of good things at your center."

"Thanks. We do what we can. It's not as much as I'd like, but short of bringing everyone in off the streets, I'm not sure what would be enough."

"Maybe, but you have to start somewhere." Garrett tipped his water in Edward's direction before taking a sip as the waiter approached to take their orders.

Mangowood's menu was fairly limited with only five entrée selections that varied, depending on the chef's whims, but Edward had never once heard a negative word about the quality of their food. He ordered the Asian chicken schnitzel, topped with a garlic ginger sauce and a side of potatoes and peas, and when Garrett ordered the quinoa stir fry, Edward cocked his head to the side.

"Are you a vegetarian?"

Garrett leaned forward, his forearms resting on the edge of the table. "Most days, but if I'm being completely honest, a few times a year I sneak away to buy the greasiest fried chicken I can find and devour it."

Even Edward was surprised at the force of his own laughter, and he ducked his head as people from surrounding tables turned to look at him. "Fair enough. Good to know that won't be a deal breaker."

"Hardly," Garrett grinned.

They made the usual getting-to-know-you small talk before moving on to worst-first-date stories. They spent the better part of four hours talking and laughing, and before Edward realized it, they were the only two left in the restaurant while their server eyed them with a vague look of disgust. Edward had been on the receiving end of that same look from small-minded people more times than he could count, but he was pretty sure this was the first time it was because he'd spent an entire night occupying one table. He offered the waiter an apologetic smile when they finally paid and was sure to leave a hefty tip, hoping to make it up to the guy.

Theirs were the only two vehicles left in the lot, and hoping to avoid all things awkward, Edward pointed at his truck as they approached. "This is me."

Garrett's charming smile broke across his face, and he nodded. "Nice. So…"

He took a step closer, and Edward noticed they were nearly the same height. Reaching out, he grabbed Garrett's hand and looked him right in the eyes.

"Look…"

"Ah, that doesn't sound promising," Garrett said, looking down at their joined hands.

"No, no. I had a great time tonight. The best I've had in a while, to be honest. It's just … I have this incredibly important fundraiser in two weeks for the center, and I won't have more than five spare minutes between now and then."

Garrett nodded but offered no words, waiting for Edward to continue.

"And as much as I like you, it's not really my style to bring someone home on the first date. Hell, even if it was, I couldn't do that and then ignore you for two weeks."

Garrett ran his thumb over Edward's knuckles as he took in his words. "So, this fundraiser … are you allowed to bring a date?" Garrett watched as Edward's body sagged in relief.

"Seeing as how I'm running the damn thing, I fucking hope so!"

Garrett nodded again. "Right. Well, do I need to beg for an invite or what?"

Edward laughed again and tugged Garrett closer. "Would you like to come with me to the Home for Hope fundraiser even though I won't be able to do more than glance at you from across the room the entire night, and I won't call you after the customary three-day waiting period because I'll be so busy I won't know which way is up?"

"I'd love to. Besides, I think we can come up with some way you can make it up to me after."

"Probably," Edward agreed, smirking at the man who would be making a cameo appearance in tonight's fantasy. "You should know though, even though it'll settle down a little after the fundraiser, my job keeps me working crazy hours. Those kids … they come first. It might not make this," he gestured between the two of them, "very easy."

"I can deal with that. I had a great time tonight, and I'm willing to put myself out there and say I'm interested in seeing where this," Garrett mimicked Edward's gesture, "could go."

"Yeah?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm glad Alice finally talked you into going out with me."

Edward blushed again. "I'm sorry about that. For once, I'm glad she's constantly meddling in my life."

Garrett took the final step forward, closing the distance between the two of them. Raising his free hand, he cupped the side of Edward's neck and tilted his head. "You mind?"

Edward answered by gripping Garrett's waist and slowly pulling him forward, enjoying the last few moments of ripe anticipation before a first kiss. In his experience, the anticipation was always better than the actual kiss. It was such a euphoric feeling, he understood why, but it didn't stop him from hoping that maybe someday the actual kiss would be better than the seconds leading up to it. As Garrett's lips gently brushed against his, giving Edward his first taste of Garrett, his heart sank just a little. It was a good kiss, pretty fucking amazing as far as first kisses go, but the rainbow-colored fireworks he'd hoped to see were missing. Even when Garrett deepened the kiss, swiping his tongue against Edward's lower lip and causing his dick to stir, Edward couldn't claim it beat those exhilarating moments of anticipation. He sighed into the kiss, chalked his hopes up to a pipedream, and finally admitted if a kiss this damn good couldn't beat those preceding moments, it was damn near impossible.

Garrett finally pulled away, a bit breathless, and offered Edward the grin he'd grown attached to over the past four hours. "That was…"

"Yeah," Edward finished. "Pretty damn good."

"Pretty damn good," Garrett repeated, then leaned in to place one more kiss on the side of his mouth. "I'll see you in a couple of weeks, Edward."

**H4H**

Edward wasn't even a little bit surprised when Alice showed up at the center Saturday morning with coffee and bagels. In fact, he'd banked on it and skipped breakfast, limiting himself to one cup of mediocre coffee when he first woke up.

"Details. Now," she said the moment she walked through his office door.

Grabbing the cinnamon crunch bagel, Edward didn't even try to play coy. He didn't know if it was the bagel high or if he was still reeling from his first successful date in months, but he didn't want to question it either way.

"Uh-mazing," he moaned.

"Eeeee!" Alice squealed, clapping her hands. "Wait, the date or the bagel?"

Edward pinched off a small piece of his bagel and threw it at his sister.

"Both!"

"I knew it! Tell me everything. Did you kiss him? Did you do more than that? When're you seeing him again?"

"Yes, no, and the H4H fundraiser."

"But that's two weeks from now!"

"I'm aware. The big-ass red circle on my calendar reminds me of it daily."

"Edwarrrrd," Alice whined.

"Aliiiice!"

"Don't start with me. You just told me you had a great time. Why're you waiting two weeks to see him again?"

Edward took another bite of his bagel. "Because I'll barely have time to breathe for the next two weeks, and it's not fair to either of us to force a date I don't really want to be on. You know how I get. My mind will be on the list of things I'm not getting done while I'm having dinner with him, and even if he's nice enough to understand, it's not right to do that. I explained. He understood. We kissed. It was pretty great, but not great enough to make me forget about all of those kids out there. End of."

Alice sat back in her chair, a smug smile on her face.

"What?" Edward asked.

"Nothing. It's just good to see you excited about a guy again."

Edward grunted and started shooing Alice out of his office. "Go play with someone. Earn your keep around here, why don't you?"

"Yes, sir! Whatever you say, sir!" Alice teased, closing the door behind her, then popping her head back in. "I'll stop by later with lunch!"

Edward laughed as his sister darted out of his office to go torture some poor kid who didn't yet know how evil she could be and rolled his chair to his desk. His mind strayed immediately to how good it had felt when Garrett's hard chest had brushed against his own.

Without thinking, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and shot off a quick text to Garrett.

**Had a great time last night! Can't wait to see you next Saturday. – E**

Edward briefly considered staring at his phone like a teenager with his first crush until Garrett responded to his text, but the ping from his email account brought him back to reality. He shoved his phone back in his pocket and got to work, effectively putting Garrett out of his mind for the rest of the day.

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**A/N: You guys blew me away with all of the love for the prologue! I was honestly shocked. Thank you so much! **

**If you're friends with me on FB, you know my daughter ripped our internet adapter in half. It'll be next Wednesday before we will have internet again, so I'm guessing it'll be a couple of weeks before I can update again. I'm sorry!**

**THANKS to all of my lovely ladies who read over this and help me to agonize over every word. My love for them is endless.**

**Interested in learning more? The website below is a great place to start, and I'll share more as the story progresses. The statistics are disheartening, but there's always a starting place. Just replace the * with a period.**

**www*fortytonone*org**


	3. Chapter 3 - See You Soon

**H4H**

The next two weeks flew by for Edward. Not only was he crazy busy getting ready for the fundraiser, but a fourteen-year-old girl had barged through the doors of the center in tears desperate to figure out how to tell her parents she liked girls. Edward wasn't able to speak with her that first day, but when she'd come back two days later, confused parents in tow, he'd made time to join their first session with Dr. Maggie to answer their questions about H4H.

Katie ended up being one of the luckier ones to seek assistance from Home for Hope. While her parents weren't exactly thrilled with Katie's revelation, their biggest concern was how much more difficult this would make her life. Edward knew that having the love and support of both of her parents would go a long way toward making her path in life easier, but he'd spelled it out regardless. Once Dr. Maggie explained how severely detrimental living the lie and being made to feel ashamed of herself could be, her parents changed their tune. They were still worried about the challenges Katie would face, but by the time the family left, they were relieved she'd trusted them enough to come out.

When Alice flitted into his office with lunch on Thursday, Edward immediately started pestering her for details about their newest student.

"Did you see who Katie hung out with yesterday?"

"Yeah, she did homework with Jane and Embry for a while, but he took off when Paul showed up."

Edward grunted. "What'd they do?"

"Played Xbox and made kissy faces at each other."

Edward side-eyed Alice.

"What? I can't stop them from making googly eyes! Jake and I could see them the whole time they were here."

An inevitable outcome of hosting a nurturing environment for LGBT youth was it ended up resembling a gay bar for teens. The staff and volunteers at H4H were extremely strict about not allowing the kids to be alone together. Most of the kids who walked through the doors were so grateful to have a place to just be themselves, they wouldn't even consider breaking the rules, but the staff was always on the lookout for the ones who weren't above using the center to look for an easy hook-up.

"Okay," Edward conceded. "I'm just not sure I trust Paul yet. So Katie seems doing be doing well?"

"Yep. A little shy maybe. She didn't really talk to anyone other than Jane and Embry, but if I had to guess, I'd say that's temporary."

"That's good to hear. I'll try to catch up with her next week, so she knows I'm available, too. I'll be glad when this fucking fundraiser is over with, and I can actually go home before dark again."

"Speaking of the fundraiser," Alice said, swallowing the last bite of her chicken gyro, "have you talked to Garrett about it?"

"Uhm … if a text asking him if he could meet me here before we head over to the fundraiser counts, then yes."

Alice's eyebrows scrunched together. "You haven't spoken to him yet? The fundraiser—the biggest event of your career to date—is in two days!"

"I know! I've been busy … you know what my days have been like! Honestly, I barely had time to respond to the few texts he sent! It was a bad idea inviting him anyway. You know I won't have more than two minutes to talk to him the entire night! I was just caught up in the moment. Stupid fucking kiss had me all discombobulated."

Shaking her head, Alice grabbed Edward's cell from his desk. "It was more than the kiss, and you know it. You're calling him right now and having a real conversation with him and reminding yourself why you asked him to the fundraiser to begin with!"

Before Edward could object, Alice shoved the phone in his hands and crossed her arms as she sat back in her chair. Her pose was eerily reminiscent of when she would pout if Edward got the bigger piece of cake when they were younger.

Garrett answered on the second ring, and the excitement in his voice made Edward's stomach church with guilt.

"Hey, Edward! It's good to hear from you!"

"Hey, man. I'm sorry I haven't called. I didn't realize I'd be _this_ busy."

"No worries. I understand. You have everything ready for Saturday?"

"Just about. I have a few more loose ends to tie up tomorrow, and of course we'll be at the hotel all day Saturday getting ready."

"I'm pretty stoked for the event. I even bought a rainbow handkerchief to tuck into my suit jacket!"

Edward laughed, remembering why he'd decided to invite Garrett to the event. He was smart and energetic and was constantly making Edward laugh. Alice smirked as she skipped out of his office, narrowly missing the stress ball Edward threw at her as she closed the door behind her. He talked to Garrett for almost half an hour before he absolutely had to get off the phone. When he finally went back to work, he was once again stoked for his second date with the witty animal lover.

**H4H**

Edward flicked the crisp white French cuff over his watch for the umpteenth time since arriving with Garrett at the hotel. Though his classic black suit and tie felt like a straightjacket, and his nerves were doing the samba in his belly, Edward decided he was doing a pretty good job pulling off the confident and relaxed look.

"You okay?" Garrett's elbow bumped his own, halting Edward's fidgeting.

Okay, maybe he wasn't pulling off the confident and relaxed look.

Edward offered a wooden smile, but the churning in the pit of his stomach didn't stop. "Yeah, I'm just … I'll be glad when the first person shows up so I know it's not a _complete_ failure."

"At least the tickets were paid for in advance," Jasper shrugged, ever the optimistic accountant.

"Thanks, man. That's real fucking helpful," Edward snarked back to his brother-in-law.

"I'd be more worried about your staff getting sloshed before the guests arrive," Alice said loud enough to draw the attention of the group hanging out by the bar.

Tom Cope, Shelly's husband, raised his glass and winked. "Oh, this is a night out for me, honey! Just because she has to work doesn't mean I do!"

Shelly half-heartedly swatted at her husband while Maggie's partner, Heidi, sidled up to Tom and hooked her arm around his elbow. "You and me, both! Let's ditch these two, and you can be my date the rest of the night."

"Uh-oh! Better watch out, Maggie," Ben interjected, his Tennessee twang a stark contrast to his Yankee co-workers' vernacular. "If even half of the stories Shelly tells me are true, Tom is nothin' but a big ol' flirt. He's liable to steal her away from you."

"No way! He's far too scared of Shelly to do more than smile and wink," Edward laughed.

"Never a bad thing to fear your wife just a little bit, son." Edward jumped at Carlisle's voice behind him. He'd been so distracted listening to his friends tease one another, he'd forgotten to check the door every two seconds and missed his foster parents' entrance. By the time Edward finished talking Carlisle into bidding on the dinner prepared by celebrity chef Cat Cora, there was a steady stream of guests filtering into the room.

"That's my cue," Edward said, smiling apologetically at Garrett, who grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Go be charming," he replied with a wink.

Edward would rather endure one of Esme's epic, rambling safe sex talks than hobnob with a roomful of adults. Fortunately for him, talking about his kids came naturally to Edward, and he let their stories take over his conversations. He introduced some of his former youth, told uplifting stories of success, and shared too many instances of heartbreaking defeat.

The time flew by, and before Edward knew it, Alice was dragging him to the stage for his pre-dinner speech. "Look who arrived just in time," she said as she nodded subtly toward the door.

Edward's eyes immediately snapped to the coat check, where Emmett McCarty was removing the coat of a short, carefully presented blonde woman. Emmett wore no coat but had a long, grey-blue scarf draped around his neck. Edward's steps faltered as he stared at Emmett, taking in every inch of the man from the dimple in his cheek all the way down to the shiny shoes that probably cost more than Edward made in a month.

"Better close your mouth before you catch a fly," Alice teased.

But Edward was still unable to tear his eyes away. When Emmett turned and met Edward's gaze, a small smile formed on his boyishly handsome face causing Edward to grin involuntarily in return. Edward snapped back to his senses when Alice dug her elbow into his side and instantly regretted seating Emmett McCarty plus one at his table. If he couldn't walk past the guy without tripping over his own feet, how the hell was he supposed to have a conversation with him over some variation of surf and turf?

"Hey, you're going to do great," Alice prepped him, mistaking his lack of control over simple motor functions as stage fright. "You've wowed everyone you've talked to tonight. This part will be over with in no time, and you can go back to one-on-one."

Edward nodded, figuring it best not to correct Alice's assumption. Besides, Edward was here with another man tonight, and the guy who made him forget how to walk was here with a _woman_. That thought actually made him laugh. "You're right. Thanks, Alice."

The music faded as Edward took the stage, and the room gradually quieted as everyone turned their attention toward him. "For those of you I haven't had a chance to speak with personally, I'm Edward Cullen, founder of Home for Hope. I want to start by thanking you for joining us tonight. If you would find your seats, our servers will be coming out with your entrees momentarily."

Edward paused as the guests bustled around the room, eventually slipping into the seats with their name card on the placemat. When almost everyone was settled, he took a deep breath and plowed headfirst into his speech.

"As a teen, I was so fortunate to have foster care lead me to Carlisle and Esme Cullen when the world had shown me nothing but hate. They are two of the best, most loving people I've ever had the privilege of knowing. They fought for me, taught me I was as smart … and normal … and as happyas I allowed myself to be. By simply being themselves and raising me the only way they knew how, they instilled in me a deep desire to help other struggling LGBT youth. Without Carlisle and Esme, Home for Hope wouldn't exist. I can't fathom what might've happened to me, so I can't really go forward without first thanking them for being the best parents I've ever known." Edward looked at his foster parents for a moment, smiling as Esme swiped a stray tear.

"Home for Hope is incredibly fortunate to have been the beneficiary of your generosity since we opened our doors almost seven years ago, and we hope to continue receiving your support for as long as we need to fight for these kids. LGBT youth make up almost forty percent of homeless youth in this country and, among other startling statistics, are twice as likely to be victims of sexual assault and twice as likely to commit suicide once they're on the streets. Our country is slowly starting to make the right decisions when it comes to gay rights, and it's incredibly exciting for me, not only as a gay man but as a voice for the youth that show up at our center. I can't stress enough how important it is for them to see LGBT adults treated as equals and to know that there are all kinds of people out there—gay, straight, bi, black, white, Asian, Christian, Jewish, agnostic—people who care and people who are fighting for them and their rights. That fight has to start here, in our own community, with the people these kids encounter at school, at the store, or even on their own street corner.

"I used to think that having more than two emergency beds for my kids to sleep in was as much of a pipe dream as marriage equality, but the recent rulings against DOMA and Proposition 8 have given me hope … hope that I'll never have to turn away another teen who's traveled hundreds of miles to find the closest LGBT-friendly shelter after being forced out of his home for being himself … and hope that one day I'll be out of a job because being gay won't be shameful and the parents who used to turn their children out will cling to them and commend them for being honest. So thank you again, so much, for supporting my dream and helping to make it a reality because with your generous support here tonight, we are one step closer to buying the old Woodstock Inn and adding fifty more beds to keep our youth off the street."

Edward stepped off stage to loud applause and a few wolf-whistles he recognized coming from Benjamin and Stefan, two alumni of H4H. Alice was waiting for him, ready to congratulate him with a tight hug and a whispered, "You were perfect!" before taking the stage herself to announce the deadline for the silent auction.

When Edward walked past his parents' table, Carlisle gripped Edward's hand and mouthed, "Great job, son," causing Edward's chest to swell with pride. When Garrett stood as Edward approached his own table and gave Edward an awkward pat on the back, Edward found himself wishing the man were more than just a second date. Though his speech had been simple—pretty short compared to the ones Dr. Maggie and Dr. Ben were giving after dinner—he'd shared a piece of his heart with a roomful of complete strangers, and it was a big deal for him. He wanted to be smothered in a hug and told his words had mattered, had made a difference, by someone other than his family.

"You were awesome—very moving," Garrett offered as the two men sat.

"Yeah? I worried it was too personal and then that it wasn't personal enough," Edward fretted.

"I loved it." Edward felt Garrett's hand squeeze his knee and smiled. "In fact, you've inspired me to buy some raffle tickets after dinner. I knew I wouldn't make it through the night as only your arm candy. How awesome would it be to win a guest spot on _How I Met Your Mother_? How'd you land that gig anyway?"

"Alice is a force of nature when she wants something," Edward replied. "She knew someone who knew someone from her college days in New York and hounded them until it was a done deal. If she'd had more time, I think she would've had Neil Patrick Harris here to emcee the event!"

"Ahh … which one is Alice then?" a rough, baritone voice to Edward's right asked. "She sounds like someone who should be working for me."

Edward leaned back as dinner plates were set in front of him and Emmett before answering. "That would be my sister, the one who spoke right after me," he said, his shaky nerves suddenly returning full force. He told himself the earthquake in his belly was from being interrupted by one of his biggest potential donors—it had nothing to do with the way said donor's left eyebrow cocked up when he smiled and his twinkling, blue zircon eyes studied him.

Nope. Not at all.

Emmett merely smiled broader and held out his hand. "I'm Emmett McCarty. Nice to meet you, Edward."

"Likewise," Edward agreed, taking his proffered hand. Emmett shook it briefly, allowing one of his fingers to trail against Edward's palm as he pulled away. Edward's eyebrows shot up, but when he met Emmett's gaze, it gave no indication of anything out of the ordinary. Edward kicked himself mentally for letting his imagination get carried away. "I was thrilled when I found out McCarty Steel was interested in supporting our cause. It's always a relief to find new support within our own community."

Emmett nodded once and offered a tight smile, his eyes losing some of their spark. "We're just happy to help wherever we can. I didn't know H4H existed before we got the invite. It sounds like you really have a passion for those kids. I'm curious as to how much you know about the business side of it though."

Edward stiffened. Emmett sounded almost condescending, as if he didn't expect Edward to know the difference between his assets and a hole in the wall. Given the amount of money Emmett could be considering donating, it was a fair question, and Edward had answered several questions throughout the night regarding his plan with other attendees, but Edward didn't like feeling as if he had to defend himself.

"Well, I received my master's in business administration from University of Vermont, but honestly, most of my knowledge comes from running Home for Hope. Founding and sustaining your own non-profit business, especially one that primarily relies on community donations, is nothing like what they taught in school."

Emmett laughed. "You're definitely right about that."

After a few minutes of talking with Emmett, Edward forgot he was annoyed with the man and spent most of the meal going over a broad outline of the plan he and Jasper had prepared. Emmett questioned him relentlessly, asking not only detailed questions about the capital project, but also about how Edward spent the bulk of his time. Edward could've kissed the Stanleys, long-time supporters of H4H, when they chimed in and praised Edward for how successful he'd already made Home for Hope.

"Sounds like you run a pretty solid foundation, Edward." Emmett's praise washed over Edward, his insides turning as warm and soft as the tiramisu they were eating. "I just wonder if you couldn't accomplish more if you focused on the business aspect of it rather than playing with those kids all day."

Edward's eyes bulged, his forkful of coffee-flavored dessert clanking against his plate. He looked at Emmett as he did a damn good impression of a fish struggling for water while he searched for the proper words to respond.

Emmett, seemingly oblivious to Edward's new aquatic lifestyle, continued talking. "I mean, most businesses are open when you're out there playing big brother to some of those kids, and you have volunteers, man, people showing up to do what you're doing for _free_! You could make a lot more headway if you left playtime to them."

Edward pushed his dessert plate away. Of course Emmett had a point. It was one Edward had even swirled around in his own head when funding was low, and he had to figure out ways to stretch the money.

But these were his kids.

_His_ kids.

"They need me," Edward finally blurted out.

"They need _someone_, sure," Emmett said, his tongue swiping a dusting of chocolate from his lip. Two minutes ago, the sight would've caused Edward's pants to tighten. Now, with his heart lodged firmly in his stomach, it only made him feel sick. "Doesn't mean it has to be you."

Edward shook his head. "How can I expect them to trust our foundation if I'm not out there showing them how important they are to _me_?"

Emmett frowned, apparently realizing he'd stepped over a line he didn't know existed. "Then maybe you should consider hiring someone to take over the business part, so you can be free to work with the kids."

Edward blinked as he stared at Emmett. Of course that would be Mr. Moneybags' suggestion. Just hire someone else. No matter there was zero budget for additional staff at the moment. Any extra funds they received were going toward buying the old inn. Edward had always been proud of the way he'd been able to both manage the business's affairs and interact with the kids, but Emmett was doing a fine job of making him feel like he'd been messing up from the beginning.

"It's not that simple," Edward argued. "You of all people should understand how complicated it is to hire additional staff ... and that's assuming we have the funds for it, which we obviously don't!"

"Which is why it makes the most sense for you to leave the coddling of the kids to someone else," Emmett insisted. "Look, I'm not saying you have to give up all of your time with them. You have a good starting plan, a great one actually, but there's a huge difference in running a gay-friendly shelter that encourages kids to do their homework and running what basically amounts to a halfway house. Plus, you might have more time to devote to your … personal life," he finished, eyes cutting to Garrett, who was at one of the auction tables talking with Ben.

Who did this fucker think he was? Of course Edward had a plan! He'd shared half the damn thing with him over wild rice pilaf! And who the fuck was Emmett McCarty to tell him how to run his personal life? Edward had to count to ten to stop himself from pulling back and sucker-punching the smug bastard right in his face.

Instead, Edward took a deep breath and tried to focus on Emmett's advice about H4H. "I won't give up my time with those kids. Feel free to think what you want, but they rely on me to be there for them. It may sound like all I'm doing is playing a game of catch or helping kids with their homework, but it's more than that—I promise you. And my plan is solid. You can stop by the center anytime, and I'll be happy to give you a tour and address any concerns you have."

Emmett held his hands up, ceding the argument. "We'll have to agree to disagree for now, but you'll definitely be hearing from me."

Baffled by Emmett's hot and cold attitude, Edward pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it over. "Call me and we'll set something up."

Pocketing the card, Emmett stood, his date following behind him like a trained puppy. "See you soon, Edward," he said before walking to one of the tables and jotting down a bid. Emmett didn't look back as he escorted his date to the coatroom.

Edward remained in his seat until Garrett sat back down beside him. "How'd it go?"

"I don't even know," Edward sighed. "I thought it was going really well. I thought he got it, but then he turned into this business shark and told me everything I'm doing wrong."

Garrett grunted. "That blows."

Edward laughed at Garrett's blunt response, but before he could agree, Alice plowed into him from behind, almost making him spill his drink as she threw her arms around his shoulders. "I don't know what the hell you said to that man but great fucking job!"

"What're you talking about? He just trashed me for not having my priorities straight!" Edward shrugged out of his sister's arms and turned to look at her.

"He must like gay priorities then because he just bid fifty thousand dollars each on two different restaurant gift certificates."

"A hundred thousand dollars? Are you serious?"

"Yes! That will easily be our biggest donation of the night!"

Edward sat back in his seat with a huge smile on his face and grabbed Garrett's hand. Maybe he'd read too much into Emmett's comments. He'd desperately wanted to impress the man, so it was no wonder he'd been over-sensitive.

Slightly mollified, Edward kissed Garrett's knuckles before leaving him once again to work the crowd for the rest of the night. He introduced his alumni to as many guests as possible and did his best to put Emmett McCarty out of his mind. By the time the last guest left, Edward was so exhausted, all he wanted to do was go home and crash for at least fifteen hours.

"I'm sorry tonight was such a lame date for you." Edward glanced at Garrett and fought off a yawn as he pulled into the H4H parking lot.

"Are you kidding? I got a free dinner, schmoozed with some of the most prominent citizens of Woodstock, and was able to ogle you all night! How's that not exciting?"

Laughing, Edward turned to face Garrett. "I guess you have a point there. Maybe next time we can go out, just the two of us, instead of the biggest group date in the history of the world."

"Sounds perfect. Especially since I won't have to wait as long this time for that all-important third date!"

Edward was smiling when his lips met Garrett's over the console of his truck. They lingered over the kiss, but it didn't hold the same promise or excitement of their first kiss, and Edward found himself slightly disappointed. "Thanks for being so understanding. I'm planning on sleeping until at least dinnertime tomorrow, but I'll call you Monday and we'll set something up for next weekend."

Garrett agreed and leaned in for one last quick kiss before hopping out of Edward's truck. Edward watched Garrett pull away and glanced inside the H4H headquarters, briefly considering going home to sleep before trudging inside to verify the unofficial total Jasper had given him before they left.

"How'd it go tonight, boss?" asked Alec, the night volunteer at the front desk.

"Pretty damn good. I'm just going to confirm the total J gave me, or I'll never be able to sleep."

"Good luck, man. And congratulations! I'm sure you're glad it's over."

Edward nodded his thanks and headed into his office. After adding everything three times, Edward finally trusted his math skills enough to settle on one very large number, causing relief and gratitude to rush through him. Combined with donations from prior fundraisers, they were over halfway toward their goal for buying the inn, and they'd received almost double what they'd expected tonight. The inn had been for sale for so long that Edward was pretty certain no one would swoop in to buy it out from under them, and the city was aware of his plans—and more importantly, supported them—so he wasn't worried they would tear it down to build something else. He couldn't deny how encouraging it was to see so much progress in one night though.

Edward's mind drifted to the man largely responsible for tonight's over-the-top total and wondered what had possessed him to donate that much money. He doubted seriously that Emmett would actually contact him since he'd committed to a donation. Such a shame … Edward had really enjoyed their conversation, right up to the point where Emmett had slammed his work priorities, that is. Emmett was smart, intense, and a great conversationalist. On top of that, with his broad shoulders and playful grin, he could easily picture the man in his bed.

Then reality sank in, and Edward knew it was a good thing their paths wouldn't cross again. From Edward's experience, men like Emmett McCarty tended to leave a wake of destruction in their paths. Edward hardly needed to be lusting after a straight multi-millionaire when he was just starting to figure out if there was something between Garrett and him.

Noticing that it was creeping up on two a.m., Edward shut down his computer and promised Alec he'd share the night's totals just as soon as he told Alice, fearing she'd cut off his balls if she wasn't the first to know. Edward held back a yawn as he walked to his truck, fidgeting with his now even more uncomfortable slacks. He was so tired, he never noticed the extra car in the parking lot until that gruff, yet somehow still dulcet voice sounded behind him.

"Told you I'd see you soon."

* * *

**A/N: Ahhhh! WHO COULD THAT BE? **

**Thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing and for your patience. I hope to set a posting schedule once school starts back up and post weekly.**

**Thank you to my wonderful team: born, chaya, les, and yummy. The other two had to take this one off but I feel their support anyway. These ladies are beyond awesome. **

**Want to learn more? (replace * with a period)**

**goodmenproject*com/gender-sexuality/some-facts-abo ut-homelessness-among-lgbtq-youth/**


	4. Chapter 4 - Surprises

**H4H**

Some things in life would always be an enigma. Like crop circles. Or the square root of pi. Or why hot dogs are sold in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight. Emmett considered these mysteries as he tailed Edward to Home for Hope, wondering where exactly he would rank his inability to put Edward Cullen out of his head. By the time he'd hung around for thirty minutes _after _watching Edward and his date kiss goodnight, Emmett decided this obsession was decidedly more confusing than the intricate details of string theory.

When Edward finally stepped outside, Emmett pushed himself off of his BMW and followed Edward to a large, silver truck.

"Told you I'd see you soon."

"Augh!" Edward jumped and spun around, one arm raised and ready to strike until recognition dawned in his eyes. "You scared the hell out of me!"

Emmett laughed and stepped closer, drinking in Edward's disheveled hair and tired eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I figured you'd notice me as soon as you came outside." Emmett gestured toward his car by the door and took another step forward, dangerously close to invading Edward's personal space.

Edward's eyes flitted over to Emmett's BMW, and he let out a sigh as he looked down. "I guess I'm more wiped than I realized." Edward ran his hand through his hair, mussing it up even more. "Um, were you just out for a stroll in the wrong part of town, or is there something I can help you with?"

"The latter, I hope. I wanted to ask about the gift certificates first. Did I win?"

"Funny guy," Edward laughed, drawing Emmett another step closer. "Of course you won. Thank you so much for the generous donation. I was more than shocked after the way our conversation ended."

Emmett frowned as he replayed their evening in his mind. Had their conversation ended badly? All Emmett could remember was being intrigued with Edward's passion for his job and incredibly turned on by the way Edward's ass filled out his pants.

"It ended badly?"

Edward tilted his head and studied Emmett. Did the man really not remember giving him what felt like a dressing-down before he left? "I guess not, given your donation, but I'd kind of gotten the idea that you were not impressed with the way I run H4H."

"That's not true at all. I find you exceedingly impressive." Emmett inched even closer, his eyes lingering on Edward's mouth.

"In that case, thank you"—Edward's eyes not failing to notice how Emmett stared at his mouth as he licked his bottom lip—"again. So, why are you here exactly?"

"You haven't figured it out yet?" The tips of their shoes were touching, and Emmett was hovering inches from Edward's face, forcing Edward backward until he bumped into his truck. He would know exactly what was going on if Emmett were gay, but the high-profile businessman had attended the fundraiser with a definitively female date and had never been seen out with a man. His hesitation felt justified.

When Emmett pressed the full length of his body against Edward's, making the bulge in his pants known against Edward's leg, there was no question left in Edward's mind as to why Emmett had shown up. Before Edward could protest, Emmett's mouth closed over his and all forms of rational thought flew right out of Edward's head. Emmett's lips were insistent against his own, and when Edward groaned from the magnitude of excitement and pleasure running through his body, Emmett wasted no time slipping his tongue inside Edward's mouth. A slave to his instincts, Edward gripped Emmett's waist and tugged him even closer, forcing Emmett's leg to settle between his own, their bodies touching from lips to toes.

Emmett manhandled Edward, rotating his hips against Edward's with every clash of their teeth. He shoved one hand beneath Edward's jacket and pawed at his chest while the other was searing hot as it kneaded his neck. When Emmett finally pulled away, gasping to catch his breath, Edward could only clutch the man's scarf and pull him back for more. He latched his mouth to the crease of skin between Emmett's chin and neck, trailing wet, open-mouthed kisses down Emmett's neck and reveling in the feel of Emmett's whiskers scratching his own lips and chin. He tangled his hands in the broader man's thick, coarse hair and tugged at the back of Emmett's shirt, desperate to touch bare skin.

"Fuck," Emmett breathed into Edward's mouth as he reclaimed the kiss.

"Mmnnff," Edward agreed.

"I'm so fucking glad I followed you here from the fundraiser." Emmett surprised even himself with his uncharacteristic admission, but what shocked him even more was the way Edward's body went from soft and pliable and wrapped around his own to stiff and tense and desperately jerking away.

"Shit. I'm sorry," Edward stuttered, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.

Emmett reached for Edward but ended up wrapping his hand around the back of his own neck when Edward ducked out of the way. "I'm guessing you're not a big fan of stalkers?"

Edward barked out half a laugh. "No, I just . . . I can't believe I did that."

"Trust me," Emmett grinned. "There was nothing bad about _that_."

Edward ran a hand over his face and looked at Emmett, distress in his shamrock eyes. "You mean other than the fact that we were both out on dates with other people three hours ago, and you just became Hope's largest benefactor? There's no way this is a good idea!"

"What does money have to do with anything? And I wasn't aware you were that hung up on your date, given the amount of attention you gave him tonight." Yeah, it was a low blow, but Emmett was too frazzled to give a flying fuck at the moment.

Shock took over Edward's face. "Since you seem to have such a huge problem with the way I manage my social life, you should be glad I ended . . . whatever that was."

"It was a kiss—a fucking hot kiss at that—and I was fine with the way you ran your social life until it stopped me from getting what I want!"

Edward threw his hands up in the air. "What in the hell is that supposed to mean?"

_For fuck's sake!_ Emmett had never put this much effort into getting laid. "Isn't it obvious? I thought I'd made myself pretty damn clear considering all the shit I did tonight!"

Mouth gaping, Edward stared at Emmett. "Is that . . . is that why you made those bids? You thought I'd sleep with you if you threw some money at my foundation?"

Emmett's eyes blazed as his arms crossed against his chest. "I'm not exactly in the habit of dropping a hundred grand when I have an urge to fuck someone."

"Well, you picked the wrong person to start with!"

"I didn't . . . Fuck it! This was obviously a mistake." Emmett turned on his heel and stalked back to his car without another word. He would fulfill his promise to himself and sign the check for H4H Monday morning, and then he would put Edward Cullen and his conceited assumptions out of his mind for good.

**H4H**

Edward stared at his desk phone early Monday morning and contemplated, _again_, if what he was about to do was really the best course of action. He'd spent most of Sunday replaying the previous night's conversation with Emmett over and over in his mind, trying to figure out where everything had crashed down around them. He'd finally decided to call Alice, intending only to give her the final figures on Saturday's benefit, and had ended up telling her everything that had happened the night before just five minutes into the conversation. She'd been absolutely no help at all, vacillating between advising him to call Emmett to apologize and waiting the other man out until his check either showed up . . . or didn't.

When it came down to it though, Edward knew he had to call to apologize. There were too many unanswered questions for him to act as if nothing had happened. He grabbed his phone and punched in the number to McCarty Steel, hoping like hell the operator would actually patch him through to the top dog himself.

Five minutes later, he finally heard that deep, scratchy voice.

"Emmett McCarty."

"Emmett, hi. It's Edward Cullen . . . from the Home for Hope benefit the other night? Do you have a minute?"

Edward held his breath while he waited for Emmett to answer.

"I have a few minutes to spare. What can I do for you?"

Edward exhaled, then took a deep breath to plow through his apology. "I wanted to apologize for Saturday night. I'm not sure how everything escalated so quickly. I was just so shocked that it happened at all and then what I said . . . well, I didn't want you to think I stopped it because of you. No matter how," Edward paused, "_attractive_ my donors may be, I try to avoid making out with them in our parking lot."

"So you did enjoy the kiss?" Emmett's voice morphed, now warm and inviting if not a bit playful. Edward could almost see the man smiling on the other end of the phone, and despite himself, Edward couldn't help but grin.

"Pfft . . . I think we both know the answer to that. I definitely got lost in the moment."

Emmett actually laughed, a deep belly laugh that made his shoulders bob, and the sound made Edward's breath catch. "I'd say that's an understatement."

Edward wanted to point out how hot Emmett had looked wearing that damn bowtie but snapped his mouth shut when he realized he would be blatantly flirting with the man. "Right. Well, as I said, it was extremely unprofessional of me, and I wanted to apologize again."

Emmett sighed and the warmth in his voice was gone when he spoke again. "I thought we already clarified the money isn't an issue for me. In fact, those were business funds, not personal."

"I'm not sure that makes it any better," Edward mumbled. "If you need to withdraw your bid, I'll understand."

"Why the hell would I withdraw the bid? What kind of person do you think I am?"

"I thought maybe you'd . . . I don't know!" Edward sighed, suddenly regretting picking up the phone.

"Contrary to whatever your enormous ego is telling you, I did _not _donate that money to get you into my bed nor would being rejected by you make me change my mind. I have my own reasons for wanting that inn opened."

"Shit! I'm sorry. _Again_. I keep messing this up. Could you just accept a blanket apology for everything, and we can pretend like none of it ever happened?"

Emmett's voice was resigned. "If that's our only option, then I guess it will have to do."

"Thank you. I'll let you go now before I stick my foot in my mouth again."

"Actually, since I have you on the phone, why don't we go ahead and set up a time where I can come tour your current facilities?"

"Oh! You still want to come?"

Emmett groaned. "Yes, Edward. Believe it or not, I worked very hard to move up in my father's company. I'm not a pretty figurehead who just throws cash around picking up hot do-gooders. I'd like to take a closer look at what we've invested in and find out how long it will take before those doors are opened."

Edward was grateful they were on the phone so Emmett couldn't see his face. Judging from the heat coming off his cheeks right now, his face had to be beet red. "Right. We'll just add the apology I'm biting back into the blanket apology from earlier. Tell me when is good for you, and I'll make it happen."

When Edward hung up the phone a few minutes later, he sighed in relief. Somehow, he'd managed to end the call without insulting Emmett again, but he needed to get a grip on himself before he ruined his best chance of buying that inn.

**H4H**

Emmett bent to check his hair in his rearview mirror, and then with a frustrated growl, tousled his hair. Why the hell this guy had him so rattled, Emmett had no clue, but he was determined it would end today. Once he dotted his i's and crossed his t's with this tour today, he could sign the check and walk away. Even though both scenarios had played out in his head, Emmett was determined to get through the next hour without shaking Edward senseless or bending him over his desk.

A bell above the door jingled as he entered the building, and a woman looking to be in her late thirties, donning a huge smile, greeted him.

"Good afternoon! I'm Shelly Cope. Thanks for coming by today, Mr. McCarty, and right on time, too!"

She seemed far too chipper for his preference, but then again, anyone who worked here would have to maintain a positive attitude with the amount of devastation that came through the doors.

"Thank you. I'm looking forward to seeing the place. Is Edward available?"

"Ahh, he's here . . . somewhere. I told him to keep an eye on the time, but once he gets started with those kids, he loses track of everything else." Emmett nodded, immediately deciding to watch every move he made around this woman. He felt certain she'd catch on to how deep his obsession with her boss ran faster than Edward ever would.

Before she could page him, Edward jogged into the foyer wearing black jeans and a dark green Henley hoodie and—_fucking hell_—a matching beanie and black-rimmed glasses to frame his green eyes. Clearly, Edward hadn't felt it necessary to dress up, but Emmett's body didn't seem to mind as he tried to ignore the churning in his belly.

"Sorry you had to wait. Couple of the guys thought they could school me in ping pong," Edward said with a roll of his eyes and a grin that could rival Mrs. Cope's.

Two boys, also smiling from ear to ear, trotted in behind Edward, the taller of the two lightly shoving Edward's shoulder. "Thought? I'm pretty sure we kicked your ass."

"I maintain it was all Ri's fault. She totally missed that last shot!"

"Yeah, the twenty you missed before don't count, right?" the shorter boy teased as they headed toward the door.

"Semantics! I was gearing up for an epic comeback, and she ruined it!"

Emmett watched Edward as he joked with the boys. While he'd been affable at Saturday's event, he'd not been anywhere near as carefree and happy as he was right now. And if Emmett didn't know better, he'd swear there was a damn twinkle in the man's eyes.

The boys left after finally conning Edward into a rematch on Friday before Edward turned to Emmett. "Ready? I thought I'd show you around and then head back to my office to go over the boring stuff."

"Sounds good."

"So, first you should know that someone is at that desk twenty-four seven. If Shelly has to step away for even a minute, she calls one of the volunteers or me to take over for her. The last thing we want is someone who's in trouble not to be given immediate help once they come through those doors," Edward explained as they walked away from the front desk.

"Right. Makes sense," Emmett agreed, then stopped, his arm shooting out to grab Edward's elbow. "Does that mean we had an audience Saturday night?"

Edward studied Emmett for a moment, trying to figure out what the man was hinting at, not wanting to jump to conclusions and ruin their ceasefire.

"Possibly . . . probably, actually. But Alec isn't one to spread gossip if that's what you're concerned about. Most of the volunteers here know a thing or two about secrets," Edward hedged. "Shelly, on the other hand . . . Don't take your eyes off her for one minute!"

Emmett nodded and without saying another word, gestured for Edward to continue.

"So, Dr. Maggie and Dr. Ben actually share this office. They may as well be volunteering for what we pay them, but you won't find two people better suited to work with the youth that come through here. They've been with me since the beginning, and I'd be lost without them. They also run their own private practice together, and many of our former youth have continued their counseling with them."

"They aren't full-time staff?" Emmett interrupted.

"No, I'm afraid not. We have the budget for one full-time therapist, but we decided early on it was better to have a male and female therapist on hand. If a boy comes in here with a black eye because his father doesn't want a faggot for a son, there's no way I want to force him to open up to a male when the one man he was supposed to be able to trust and rely on has just let him down. Some people don't care, but some do, so I'm grateful they're so accommodating."

Emmett's brows were knit together, and he spoke slowly, seeming to choose his words carefully. "Right. Sounds like you were lucky to find them."

"Very lucky. Ready to move on, or do you have any other questions?" Edward peered at Emmett. He was starting to get the feeling the man had his own demons to contend with.

"Nope. I'm good. Lead on," he said with a tight smile.

"Just stop me anytime." Edward continued forward to the grand room that held two big-screen TVs on opposite ends of the room, a ping pong table, several chairs and couches, a wall full of books, and a couple of round tables. There were a handful of kids in the room, most around the TVs, but two girls appeared to be doing homework together, and Riley was cozied up on one of the couches sharing a book with Irina.

"Nice," Emmett commented as he took in the group sprawled in front of the TV. "Not what I was expecting."

Edward shrugged. "My main goal when we opened was to give the kids a place where they could hang out, feel accepted and safe, and provide them with the tools they'd need to succeed as an adult. This is where they spend most of their time. We do some organized activities and participate in different community service projects, and we've even taken a couple of mini-road trips, but for the most part, this is it."

"Are the workshops held in here, too?"

"No, most of them are held in this room." Edward gestured across the hall to a much smaller room outfitted with tables, chairs, and an enormous white board covering one wall. "We found the most successful workshops were the ones centered around applying for jobs, filling out applications for college, transitioning to being self-sufficient. Basically, things these guys would generally rely on their parents and teachers to help them with. We also hold a couple workshops a month for parents, teachers, nurses, social workers, or anyone else interested in helping bridge the gap. There's a lot of people out there who are ignorant as to how difficult it can be for LGBT youth simply because there's a lack of public awareness."

"And that's part of what you do? You're in charge of drumming up awareness?" Emmett asked.

"I do my best, and some of our volunteers excel at it," Edward acknowledged. "Alice in particular. We contact as many businesses as we can, particularly the schools and hospitals, and try to persuade their HR departments to offer awareness courses to their employees."

Emmett nodded but didn't comment further, so Edward finished up the tour by showing him the kitchen and then the spacious back yard, including an area where the kids could play half-court basketball. The grounds also boasted a small garden and several sitting areas. They were passing the common room again when Seth, who was watching TV with Quinn, called out to Edward.

"Hey! You up for a game of basketball? Everyone else is being a drag today." He pointed at Quinn, who shoved Seth's shoulder but didn't take his eyes off the television.

"Can't right now," Edward answered, gesturing toward Emmett. "You going to be around later?"

"Nah. You know how it is. The old man doesn't like it too much when I'm not home on time." Seth pushed himself off the couch and headed toward Edward and Emmett. "This guy looks like he knows how to play, though. Come on, two on one! Just for a few minutes! You might even stand a chance of winning!"

Edward wasn't sure if he was laughing more at the surprised expression on Emmett's face or Seth's shameless ploy for attention. He'd never met someone quite like Seth. It would be so easy to stereotype him as a typical gay twink by his exuberant attitude and out-there personality, but he could be caught playing basketball or Call of Duty just as often as he could be found gabbing with his friends or painting his nails. Edward found it hard to believe that anyone could say no to him when he turned on his charm, and apparently Emmett was no exception.

Just as Edward opened his mouth to tell Seth he was out of luck, Emmett shocked the hell out of him. "You're on. First to ten wins and you gotta win by two."

"Heck yeah, man!" Seth exclaimed. "Where'd you find this guy, Edward? Don't you dare scare him away! I'm Seth, by the way."

"Emmett McCarty," he said, shaking Seth's hand. "Let's do this before we get you in trouble at home."

Edward stood still, rooted in place for a full ten seconds while the other two headed back outside, Seth yammering Emmett's ear off already. At Seth's insistence that he hurry, Edward finally trotted off toward the back door, wondering if Emmett would ever stop surprising him.

* * *

**A/N: Well, wasn't that exciting? Emmett may've redeemed himself a smidgen. If you're not in my facebook group (link on profile), you may've missed the shmexy gif I posted as a teaser… Come check it out!**

**Thank you to my usual suspects: born, chaya, intricacy, les, yummy, and whiti. They're so good to me. And a huge thank you to all of YOU! I can't even tell you how much your reviews make me smile!**

**The next update will be in about two weeks again. I leave Wednesday to visit a friend for a week, and I'm taking the kids with me so we will be super busy, but school starts the week after that!**

**Want to learn more? (don't forget to replace the *)**

**www*cdc*gov/lgbthealth/youth*htm**


	5. Chapter 5 - Keep Coming Back

**A/N: Thank you for your patience. I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this out to you, but I promise it was unavoidable. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**H4H**

"Emmett drove Seth home?" Alice gasped. "I bet he loved riding in that beemer!"

"No shit. I thought Seth's cheeks were going to crack, he was smiling so hard." Edward snatched a chip from Alice's bag. "I swear, Alice, you know how much I love Seth, but I've never seen anyone take to him like Emmett."

"So, let me get this straight. He donates a fuckton of money to a shelter for LGBT youth, propositions you in a dark and empty parking lot, and then becomes BFFs with one of our higher-risk youth in about five seconds flat? Somebody's hiding in the closet with a shitload of skeletons."

"Tell me about it. I'm dying to ask him whether he's gay and these women are just an elaborate beard, or if he's just bi-curious. We've finally reached a point in our professional relationship that I don't have to feel squeamish about, and I'm pretty sure that would kill it."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Uh, yeah. The line would be a dot to you. So, he's coming back Thursday?"

"Yep. He said he'd come by again later this week to wrap up, _and _he checked with Seth before choosing a day."

"Wow! I never would've seen this coming. How're you going to resist the man now? Hot, loaded, one more visit away from needing a background check to volunteer here … Did I mention hot?" Alice teased.

"Did I mention hot?" Edward mimicked. "I don't even know why he's coming back, to be honest—he's already written the check. Maybe he just wanted an excuse to see Seth again."

"Or you." Alice raised an eyebrow as she popped a chip in her mouth.

"I think we've beaten this dead horse enough. Besides, I've got this thing with Garrett just starting up."

"Have you talked to Garrett since the fundraiser?"

"I sent him a text yesterday promising to call him tonight. Maybe once I go out with him again, I'll be able to get Emmett out of my head."

"So you admit he's in your head?"

"For fuck's sake, Alice—you've seen him. Of course he's in my head, but that doesn't mean he should be. The man screams trouble, and I've had enough of that for one lifetime. Even though the fundraiser date fell a little flat, Garrett and I really hit it off that first night. Plus, he's got a great ass." Edward winked and shoved the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth.

"Always a plus," Alice agreed. "All right. I have to get back to work. Can you let Jane know I'll be here tomorrow? I had to cancel on her last week for some last-minute fundraiser stuff."

Edward pulled the beanie off of his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "Sure. Are things still going downhill with her parents? She seems more withdrawn than usual lately, and I noticed some bruises on her arm. I almost called the cops, but she swore someone at school grabbed her and begged me to leave it alone."

"That's what she told me, too. Let me talk to her tomorrow before you make any decisions. She's almost eighteen, Edward. You know she's going to walk out of that house on her birthday and never look back. She'll hate us if we call in reinforcements when she's so close to being out."

Frustration seeped out of every syllable as Edward nearly shouted, "You think I don't know that? If the only other alternative is letting her bigoted father beat her to a pulp, she can hate me all she wants."

Alice sighed and wrapped her arms around her brother's shoulders. "You're right. It still sucks. I don't know how you make these calls all the time. I'm crossing my fingers, eyes, and toes, hoping that Jane's dad hasn't gotten physical."

Edward tilted his head to plant a kiss on Alice's temple. "I just hope we have the inn soon because two beds aren't going to cut it if one is occupied every night with someone still in high school."

"We'll figure it out. Besides, I have a good feeling about the inn. It'll be ours before you know it."

**H4H**

Pulling his phone from his pocket, Edward checked the time as he walked home later that night. As a rule, he didn't call anyone after nine. Even though most people would still be awake, he enjoyed that late night time to unwind by himself and didn't like being interrupted. Plus, he was pretty sure he'd interrupted Alice and Jasper having sex one night and was now scarred forever. He still couldn't figure out why she'd answered the phone, but hearing Jasper grunt in the background while Alice breathlessly answered his question had pretty much cemented his 'no calls after nine' rule.

Edward sighed when his phone accusingly shone nine forty-eight at him. Shooting off a quick apology to Garrett, he promised again to call him the next day before shoving his hands into his jacket pockets to fight off the chill of the windy night and picked up the pace. He hadn't even made it to the end of the block when his phone started buzzing. Edward smiled as he answered without looking at the screen.

"Hey! You got my text? I didn't want to call you this late."

A voice that was definitely not Garrett's answered. _"What? Edward?"_

Yanking the phone away from his ear, Edward checked the caller ID but didn't recognize the number.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else. Yes, this is Edward."

"_It's Emmett. Do you have a minute? I wanted to run something by you before Thursday." _Edward was so shocked, he stepped into the street without looking and had to jump back when a horn blared at him. _"Was that a car horn? Where are you?"_

"Yeah, it was. I'm walking home from work. I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"_Why're you walking home at ten p.m.?"_

Edward's brows drew together, not liking Emmett's tone. What the hell was Emmett's problem? He wasn't Edward's keeper. "Someone showed up just as I was leaving and needed one of our emergency beds. He'd been bullied out of the homeless shelter for teens in Burlington. Fortunately, one of the their workers told him about H4H."

"_Burlington? That's probably a hundred miles away! Did he walk?" _This time, Emmett's voice was full of concern, easing some of Edward's annoyance with the man.

"Most of it. He hitched a ride for about forty miles and spent the better part of two days walking the rest. I wanted to make sure he was fed and settled before I left."

"_So he's okay?"_

"Uhh … that's a loaded question. He seems okay physically, but I've asked one of our volunteer nurses to stop by tomorrow and check him out. Mentally, emotionally … not so much, but he's open to talking with Dr. Ben tomorrow."

"_Shit. That sucks. Well, I wanted to throw an idea out to you and give you some time to think over it so we can discuss it on Thursday." _The concern in Emmett's voice was gone, morphing in the blink of an eye to his all-business, no-nonsense attitude once again.

"All right." Edward drew out his words as he opened the door to his home, wondering what Emmett had in mind. "Gimme one sec," he added as he started stripping himself of his winter accessories. He grabbed his phone when everything was hung up and plopped down on the couch as he tousled his hair with his fingers. "I'm ready. Lay it on me."

"_Oh, dangerous territory, Masen. We're strictly professional now, thanks to you."_

Edward laughed, enjoying another snapshot of the man's playful side he'd gotten a preview of on the court yesterday. "My bad. What'd you want to discuss, Mr. McCarty?"

"_Better. I'm interested in helping with the purchase of the Woodstock Inn. When we meet on Thursday, I'd like to discuss the pros and cons of purchasing the inn outright and donating it to H4H over simply donating the funds to H4H for you to purchase it."_

Edward's hand dropped from his head and his mouth hung open as Emmett waited for him to respond. His mind was racing as he took in Emmett's words and what they meant. For him. For his kids. For the entire LGBT community.

He closed his mouth and then opened it again, hoping the right words would come tumbling out. They didn't. Instead, he sat there even longer while Emmett waited patiently for Edward to respond.

Finally, Edward muttered the only words that made sense. "Are you serious?"

His voice softer than Edward had ever heard it, Emmett replied. _ "It's the least I can do."_

Edward's mind reeled. The Woodstock Inn shut down just after Edward started Home for Hope, but Carlisle and Esme had known the owners, who also ran the small restaurant inside the inn. When Edward joined the Cullen family, they insisted he be a part of the standing family dinner night they had at the inn every Thursday. The consistency of those weekly dinners, something so simple, had been a turning point in Edward's life.

After being thrown from one home to another, always being dismissed once his guardians found out he was gay, he'd lost hope in finding people who wouldn't care who he chose to date. Edward had liked Carlisle and Esme from the beginning and made a concerted effort to keep his sexual preferences to himself, but the longer he lied about himself, the angrier he became. Finally, about three months into his stay with the Cullens, Edward carefully applied eyeliner and a smoky eye shadow, squeezed into his tightest jeans and most flamboyant shirt, and joined his caretakers in the living room to go to what he was sure would be his last Thursday dinner. Esme had merely motioned him forward and fidgeted with Edward's collar before dropping a kiss on his cheek and telling him how handsome he looked and that she was glad he finally felt comfortable enough to be himself. Edward had nearly wept when the owner came by to say hi and Carlisle draped his arm around Edward's shoulder over dinner and referred to Edward as his son.

Even though he'd only begun fundraising a little over a year ago, buying the inn had been on Edward's mind since he'd first heard it was closing its doors. He seriously doubted Emmett understood exactly what buying this inn meant to him. This was far from the least he could do.

"No. It's not. The least was showing up to the fundraiser, this ... this is … I don't even know. Saying thank you doesn't seem big enough for this." Edward laughed. "I feel like I should ask you if you're sure, but I don't want you to change your mind!"

"_Not an issue,"_ Emmett promised. "_Can you set aside several hours Thursday? We have a lot to discuss, and I want to be heavily involved in the entire process. I want to ensure a positive return on my investment. I understand this isn't about making money, but that doesn't mean the inn can't be made more successful._"

"Of course!" Edward so excited, he didn't even think about bristling at Emmett's implication. "I'll clear my schedule for the entire afternoon. You still want to see Seth?"

Edward could almost hear the smile in Emmett's voice. "_Yeah, if he's there._"

"He should be. He's psyched to see you again."

Edward hung up the phone a few minutes later, shell-shocked and elated by Emmett's phone call. He was completely befuddled. In the five conversations they'd had so far, Edward had been impressed by the man's aloof business attitude, hurt by his somewhat snobbish and thoughtless comments, charmed by his aggressive flirting, intrigued by his playful nature with Seth, and now completely blown away by his apparent selfless generosity. Who the hell was this guy?

Edward pushed himself off his couch and headed to his room. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He knew he needed to get his shit together before Thursday to prove to Emmett that he was ready for the challenge, and in order to do that, he needed a good night's sleep.

**H4H**

The following two days passed slowly for Emmett. He did his best to immerse himself in his job, but his mind just wouldn't focus on anything long enough for him to complete any real work. When he'd realized he'd been staring for no less than twenty minutes at a gift someone had given him for Christmas last year, a stupid flower that danced in the sunlight, he'd thrown the damn thing away. He exhausted all of the combinations possible on his Newton's cradle before shoving it in the far corner of his bottom desk drawer. He solved his Rubik's cube—twice, cleaned up his work inbox _and _his personal email, and reorganized everything on his desk. For some reason, the menial tasks were the only things that kept his mind off what he'd proposed to Edward Cullen, and the worst part was that Emmett couldn't figure out _why _he was so distracted.

The money leaving his personal bank account wasn't much of a concern. Sure, it was a lot of money, but he didn't need it, and he'd make it back within a couple of years. Home for Hope was a solid non-profit organization, and he could easily relate to the youth the center catered to, so it was a good investment. He felt a little ashamed it had flown under his radar for so long, but honestly, the timing now seemed to be perfect. Most importantly, Emmett was finally starting to fulfill a promise he'd made over ten years ago, so he had no clue why he was so tied up in knots over his next business venture.

As Emmett turned off his car in the same spot he'd parked on Monday, he refused to check himself in the mirror out of principle. Edward Cullen may've been the hottest guy he'd met in Woodstock, but he'd made his feelings clear, and Emmett wasn't about to beg for anyone. Regardless of how fuckhot said guy looked in a tux.

Shelly Cope welcomed him with her too-big smile the moment he opened the door and offered Emmett a drink before sending him straight to Edward's empty office with a promise that he would be in momentarily.

Emmett took in his surroundings as he attempted to rein in his ire at the delay. He was unaccustomed to being made to wait, especially considering the amount of money he was about to donate. He saw only one picture on Edward's desk, and it was of Edward with his foster parents, his foster sister, and a blonde man Emmett assumed was Alice's boyfriend or husband. The walls were adorned with several LGBT-friendly posters, but one in particular caught his eye, mostly likely because Edward's handsome face stood out in the center. He wore a white shirt and had duct tape over his mouth. His family surrounded him, similarly dressed, and everyone wore the somewhat familiar NO H8 logos on their cheek. Edward held his pointer finger over his mouth, while Carlisle, Esme, and Alice's hands formed hearts, surrounding him in love. Emmett shifted in his seat, the uncomfortable feeling settling in the pit of his stomach again.

Before he could analyze it for long, Edward came bursting through the door. "I'm so sorry you had to wait, Emmett. Marc isn't adjusting as well as I'd hoped, and I wanted to try to get him settled before our meeting so no one would interrupt us."

"No problem," Emmett said, more than a little baffled at the way his annoyance skipped out of the room as soon as Edward entered. "Marc is new I take it?"

Edward sat in the chair behind his desk and unlocked his computer. "Yes, the one that arrived the other night. He's a bit of a loose cannon. His gratefulness disappeared after his first night in a warm bed with a full belly. I know they're nothing more than cots that we pull out into the great room, but it's better than sleeping on the streets, and Marc doesn't seem to think they're good enough for him to have to follow our rules."

"You have rules for homeless kids?"

"Of course we have rules. I'm happy to take anyone in who needs us, but you have to be willing to help yourself. If you're here full-time and relying on us for a place to sleep and eat beyond a snack every now and then, you're damn well going to help out around here, and if you're no longer in school, you'll spend your free time searching for jobs."

Emmett frowned. "That seems a little harsh."

Edward looked at Emmett and sat back in his chair. "I disagree. I think when you've done this as long as I have, you see a bigger, more accurate picture. Given the reason you're here, you should understand why we have these rules in place. No one knows better than I do how difficult, frustrating, and scary Marc's life is right now. We finally talked him into having a session with Dr. Maggie, and while she wants to keep working with him, she has no major concerns that would keep Marc from staying with us or actively pursuing work. Sitting around here moping about his problems won't help Marc. He's almost twenty years old, and while that's still pretty damn young in my book, he's considered an adult in the eyes of the world, and once he turns twenty-two, technically my hands are tied. The longer he sits in here, getting comfortable, licking his wounds, the harder it's going to be for him to accept responsibility for himself. I'm not asking the impossible of him, but he can help out with the cleaning and fix his own meals. He can also start using the resources we make available to hone his job skills and figure out his next step because as much as I'd love to help, we can't let him sleep here forever. That's a harsh reality he needs to learn sooner rather than later."

"Okay, okay!" Emmett held his hands up in a standard 'back off' move.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound defensive, but you sounded just like he did earlier. You'd think I'd be used to it by now."

Emmett didn't know how to respond, so he simply suggested they get started, and the two men spent the next two and a half hours tweaking the plan Edward had already created. Edward was open to most of Emmett's ideas, and the ones he flat out rejected made Emmett want to suggest completely off-the-wall ideas so he could see the fire in Edward's eyes when he explained why that just wouldn't work. For reasons Emmett wasn't ready to explore, he found he quite enjoyed getting a rise out of this new business partner. Emmett was pleased, if not a little surprised, when Edward didn't bat an eye at Emmett's request to remain anonymous even though he would be heavily involved in the planning. They'd been in full agreement that most of their labor would come from volunteers and youth currently associated with Home for Hope. While they couldn't force anyone to help out, Edward had assured Emmett that most of the youth were already active in community service programs and would no doubt prefer working on the inn to receive their hours.

While holed up inside Edward's tiny office, Emmett discovered, the man was even more intelligent than he'd originally given him credit for. Emmett was sure he would've been content to spend the rest of the evening talking with him if not for the sharp rap against Edward's window. Startled, both men looked up to see Seth waving at them from the hallway and mimicking shooting hoops. The entire deal was pretty much a go in Emmett's mind, so they agreed to wrap up for the day and meet again after Emmett went to the bank first thing Monday morning to arrange the money transfer. The two had decided Emmett would donate the funds to H4H so Edward could purchase the inn, but the closing could still take close to a month to finalize, and neither man wanted to wait even that long.

Seth was talking to a tall, fair-skinned young man with long, dark hair when Emmett and Edward joined them in the hallway.

"Marc's up for being our fourth today!" Seth exclaimed.

"Sounds good," Edward said as he wrapped his arm around Seth's neck. "I assume he's with me then?"

"Hell ye—I mean, heck yeah. I'm with Em!" Seth said.

"Your loss, kiddo. You two head on out. Marc and I will be out in a minute."

Emmett didn't miss the look of panic that crossed Marc's face before he replaced his mask of indifference, but Seth was pulling at his arm before Emmett could gawk further.

"You sure those two should be on a team together? Marc didn't look too happy about it." Emmett asked.

"'Course. Marc was already feeling bad about what he said today. He's probably worried Edward's gonna kick him out or something. I told him Edward's not like that, but who knows if he believed me?" Seth dribbled the ball twice and shot from behind the arc. The ball bounced off the rim, and Emmett ran to chase it down. "Besides, everyone loves Edward. It's like his gift or whatever."

"His gift?" Emmett took a shot from just inside the three-point line and grinned as the ball swished through the net.

"Showoff," Seth muttered as he grabbed the ball and threw it back to Emmett. "You know what I mean. Some people are good at numbers, other people can sing really well, and some are great cooks. Whatever. They're just really good at it. Edward makes people love him. I don't really know how because he can really be a smartass sometimes. And he's not that great at basketball … or Call of Duty. But don't you dare tell him I said that!"

Emmett laughed as the ball swished through the net again. "Oh, I'm definitely telling him you said that! So what about you? How's your week been?"

"Same old stuff. Can't complain, I guess."

"Sure you can. That's why I asked."

"Wouldn't do any good," Seth mumbled. "Besides, I don't really want your pity, and that's all I get when I tell straight people my problems. No offense, but you don't know what it's like."

Emmett would've sworn his heart stopped in that moment. He knew why he'd taken an instant liking to Seth even though he'd warned himself to keep his distance. Then he'd told himself it'd been almost fifteen years; he had healed and moved on. He could handle being around someone who reminded him so much of his past.

Emmett had never told anyone of significance that he was as attracted to men as he was women, but the disheartened tone of Seth's voice and one look into his sad eyes had Emmett nearly confessing his entire past to the fifteen-year-old kid right then and there.

"Look, I'm sorry. It's been a rough week. School is usually an escape from my old man, but it's been a pretty shitty week at school, too, and I've already spilled my guts to the doc about it. Can we just play?"

"Of course. And don't apologize. You know I'm here for you, though, if you need me, yeah?"

"Sure thing. Thanks, Em. You gonna stand there all day, or can you pass me the ball?"

Emmett grinned, surprised by how pleased he was that Seth felt comfortable addressing him so informally. He couldn't remember the last time someone had called him by something other than Emmett or Mr. McCarty, not to mention, he was pretty sure the last time he'd played any sport just to have fun, he could fill up his gas tank with a ten-dollar bill. Ever since he'd graduated college and started learning the ropes under his father's stern eye, he ate, slept, and breathed McCarty Steel. He couldn't deny that he loved every minute of it—the power, the prestige, the perk of being Woodstock's most eligible bachelor—but he was starting to think he'd been missing out on more than he'd realized. The ball bounced off the backboard and dropped neatly through the hoop causing Seth to jump up in the air and scream. Emmett laughed at the boy's antics and shoved any form of life-changing realizations he was about to have out of his head. Now just wasn't the time.

Feeling brave, he blocked Seth's next shot and ran to the hoop hoping like hell he could pull this off. He felt pretty confident about halfway up, but realized a moment too late that he wasn't going to make it. Instead of jamming the ball through the rim for a badass dunk, it bounced off the side of the rim, the force of the ricochet knocking him flat on his ass.

His mortification doubled when he heard Edward's laughter join in with Seth's. "You know what this means, right?" Seth asked as he held out a hand to help Emmett up.

"What's that?"

Seth's smile was as wide as Emmett had seen yet. "You gotta keep coming back until you can make that dunk."

Another inexplicable flip-flop of his heart, and Emmett ruffled the kid's hair, his grin rivaling Seth's. "I guess I do."

* * *

**A/N: Wheeee! GO Em! **

**Couple of housekeeping items. TODAY is the last day to donate to F4LLS (fandom4lls*blogspot*com). One of the reasons for my delay was because I decided to contribute an E/Em one-shot after finding out one of my friend's 10-month-old daughter was diagnosed with ALL. I've shared her story on my Facebook wall and in my group if you're interested. There are so many great authors participating, so don't miss out!**

**Thank you to my usual peeps: born, intricacy, les, whiti and yummy for pre-reading for me and giving me such great feedback. Extra special thank you this time to chaya for not only beta'ing this chapter, but the first four again after I decided they just **_**had**_** to be tweaked! And a special thank you to Jordan for pointing out that after I tweaked, I'd reloaded them incorrectly! (It takes a village to raise me.) I big puffy heart all of them!**

**Finally – another huge THANK YOU to all of you for reading, reviewing, and being so patient for this chapter. Your words and support mean so much to me. **

**Need to talk to someone?  
****GLBT National Hotline - 888-843-4564  
****GLBT National Youth Hotline - 800-246-PRIDE (7743)  
****www*volunteerlogin*org/chat/**** (replace * with a period)**


	6. Chapter 6 - One Step Forward

**A/N: Enjoy!**

* * *

**H4H**

_Tap ta-tap. Tap ta-tap. Tap ta-tap._

Emmett's fingers bounced off his binder as his HR manager droned on and on about changes in the new-hire orientation program. It wasn't that he didn't care about the changes-okay, maybe he really didn't-but he hired competent managers to take care of these things for a reason. For the most part, Renee Dwyer made all the right decisions, but when she felt compelled to run every single one of those decisions through him before implementing them, it didn't really matter. He discreetly pushed the button on his iPhone, cringing when he saw their meeting had already run over fifteen minutes, and Renee didn't seem to be anywhere near winding down. Emmett did his best to hold in his sigh at the thought of having to hire another new HR manager, but if Renee didn't grow a backbone soon, it was inevitable.

Reflecting on the past several weeks, Emmett knew the extra-long meeting was inescapable. He'd managed to cancel on her for the past three weeks, citing meetings with the owner of his latest charity investment as his excuse. But Renee had cornered him in his office fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, just as Emmett was getting ready to send her an email to cancel. He'd hoped they'd at least get out early so he could still make it to the center in time to give Seth a lift home, but that clearly wasn't going to happen, and given the roll she was on now, he was going to miss his meeting with Edward, too. Normally, he would've gone ahead and told Renee her time was up, but he felt a little guilty for bailing on her for so many weeks in a row, so he endured her rambling.

Thirty minutes later, Emmett finally decided enough was enough after Renee informed him they were switching from Styrofoam to more earth-friendly paper plates in the break room and ended the meeting. By the time he'd promised Renee they could finish up first thing in the morning and wrapped up all of his loose ends for the day, he was already thirty minutes late for his semi-weekly meeting with Edward. Plus, he hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast because he'd skipped lunch to catch up on everything he'd gotten behind on during the past few weeks. Finding Edward's name in his phone, he quickly pushed send as he unlocked his car and climbed in behind the wheel.

"_Hey, Emmett."_

Emmett smiled. Edward didn't sound the least bit upset that he was late. In fact, he'd bet money the man didn't even _know _he was late yet. A shout in the background confirmed his hunch and was immediately followed by Edward's_, "Nope! Point doesn't count! I was on the phone-you know the rules!"_

"_Yeah, but that rule is for important calls. It's just Emmett, and _he_ doesn't count!"_

Emmett's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "What the hell is that! Was that Ri?"

"_Uh oh, Ri! He heard what you said. Better find a way to make it up to him!" _Emmett's smile returned. He never would've guessed he'd enjoy watching Edward interact with the kids so damn much. The man was born to run that organization, and his love for his job and the youth he helped practically seeped out of his pores. _"She says she's not scared of you!"_

"Is that so? I guess I won't stop and get her a sundae today then … since I'm running late and all." Emmett had decided to go ahead and sign up to be an official volunteer at Home for Hope after his first week. It made sense, given the amount of time he'd be spending over there, and it allowed him a certain amount of freedom when dealing with the youth. Mainly, he didn't need supervision to be there or permission to bring in goodies from time to time. Between his meetings with Edward and his visits with Seth, Emmett had gotten to know several of the regulars, and somehow over the past few weeks, he'd gotten in the habit of stopping by McDonald's and bringing in sundaes for everyone.

"_He's threatening your ice cream, Ri, and he sounds serious."_

A shrill shriek and moments later, Ri's voice was in his ear. "_I'm sorry, Emmett! I didn't mean it!"_

"_Now_ you're sorry? I think you just want your ice cream."

"_Pfff ..._" Emmett could almost see Ri, her bottom lip jutting out, forcing a small breath to blow her hair out of her eyes. She was growing it out, had been since before her parents had finally agreed to take her to see a doctor to start the process of changing from a male to a female, but it wasn't quite long enough to tuck behind her ear like she wanted. As a result, her long bangs were constantly in her eyes, and anytime she became mad or upset, a small puff of air escaped from her lips, blowing her hair up in the air. "_Okay, you got me. Please, please, please? You know it's the highlight of my day_."

Emmett's heart clenched because even though made in jest, her comment was very true. Ri may have finally received the reluctant support of her parents, but she continued to endure too much pain and ridicule at school. "You know me better than that. I'm just running a little late. Be there in ten, okay?"

"_Eeee! Thank you, Em!_" she squealed before handing the phone back to Edward.

"_You're going to spoil these guys rotten,_" Edward admonished once he had the phone back.

"Somebody needs to," Emmett muttered. "You want your usual?"

"_Ugh, no. I'm tired of that place. I think I've had more McDonald's over the past three weeks than I've had in my entire lifetime. Can we grab some real food tonight?"_

"Sure. No problem."

"_Awesome, man. I'll see you in a few."_

Edward hung up the phone and checked the text message he'd heard buzz through while he was talking to Emmett.

Garrett.

_Still on for a late dinner tonight?_

Edward groaned. He couldn't figure out why the man was still interested in him. He obviously had the patience of a saint. Edward had cancelled on him three times in the past two weeks, and the two times they had seen each other, he'd been so tired he could barely hold up his end of the conversation. He wished he could garner more enthusiasm about seeing the guy. Garrett was perfect on paper, and as much as Edward enjoyed their time together, he didn't think they'd really been able to recapture the sparks that flew on their first date. Figuring it was time to bite the bullet and be honest with him, Edward tapped out his message as he walked to his office.

**I'm sorry. Emmett was running late so we're going to grab a bite while we work. Can we meet for a drink after?**

Edward half-hoped Garrett would be so frustrated with another cancellation, he'd call the whole thing off right now, but of course when his phone buzzed again, Garrett suggested meeting at Bentley's at nine. The glass in Edward's door rattled as he dropped his head against it in frustration. Tonight was going to be a long night.

**H4H**

Emmett took the first bite of his dinner, groaning as the tender, juicy chicken practically melted in his mouth, the sting of the hot wing sauce perfectly complemented with cool ranch dressing.

"This is amazing," Emmett said then took a second bite.

"I can't believe you've never been here before. It's one of my favorite restaurants." Edward took advantage of their close proximity since they'd been sitting catty-corner to make working easier. He deftly grabbed a fry off Emmett's plate.

Emmett shrugged. To be honest, he rarely ate anywhere but the best of the best. He'd been raised that way and had never given it a second thought until Seth had begged him to stop by McDonald's the second time he'd driven the boy home. He'd never seen anyone so excited to eat a cheeseburger that cost a dollar. Emmett had known the kid had him wrapped when he'd pulled under the golden arches without Seth saying a word and actually ordered something for himself, too. He'd felt bad only getting something for Seth though, so he started bringing in sundaes on his trips back to H4H and grabbing dinner there for Edward and him. He'd had to admit, the Big Mac wasn't all that bad-the special sauce overpowered the questionable meat beneath it-but he was pretty sure it was one of those special foods he should save for once a year rather than twice a week.

This though. Why had he never eaten here? Granted, Chili's wasn't The Pauper and the Prince, but the margaritas were a perfect blend of citrus and tequila, and his sandwich was a little slice of chicken heaven. He could see why it was one of Edward's favorite restaurants.

"Guess it was just never on my radar."

"So glad I could be the one to introduce you then." Edward leaned over and bumped Emmett's elbow. Emmett flinched at the touch, unused to having other people initiate contact-he didn't exactly scream the warm and friendly type. But when Edward either didn't notice or pretended not to notice, Emmett slowly relaxed his body again. He'd come to terms pretty quickly with the fact that Seth, and now Ri, had wormed their way into his soul and rearranged everything he thought was important, but he was still struggling to figure out how Edward fit into his life.

Emmett made no secret of the fact that he admired the man. How could anyone not? The sacrifices Edward made for those kids were enough to have the pope give him a pat on the back. Add on his intuitive business skills, his astute ability to instantly put everyone he met at ease, the fact that he handled everything life threw at him in stride, and it was clear Seth knew what he was talking about that day on the court. Edward made everyone love him. Period.

That's not to say he wasn't without faults. He was so stubborn, Emmett had actually felt like wringing the man's neck on more than one occasion when Edward simply refused to back down from something he believed in. Not to mention, more than once he'd heard Edward give in way too early when speaking with others, only to put up a huge fight with Emmett when he tried to offer helpful suggestions. He couldn't figure out why Edward had no problem pushing every single one of his buttons, but refused to use more than one angle when asking HR managers for face time with their employees! Emmett took another bite of his sandwich and grinned-at least he knew how to pick a damn good restaurant.

"You know this means you have to take me to your other favorite places, right?"

"Is that a shameless ploy for another date?" The words slipped out of Edward's mouth. They'd definitely moved past the awkward stage from Edward's initial rejection and slowly morphed their business partnership into a somewhat fragile friendship. Judging by the look on Emmett's face right now, Edward was pretty sure they weren't quite to this level of friendship yet.

"Fucking faggots," someone muttered as he walked by. "Can't you just stay home?"

Emmett's fork clattered to the table, and his seat flew back. He was on his feet with his fists balled up at his sides before Edward had even fully registered the words. The asshole had continued walking, laughing the whole time. Edward laid a tentative hand on Emmett's forearm, urging him to sit, and Emmett's fists finally uncurled as he took his seat again.

Unsure of what to say, Edward struggled to find the right words. Emmett's sexuality had remained an untouched subject-he could've just as easily been ready to deck the guy for being a homophobic ass as he was for assuming Emmett was gay. "Hey. Ignore him. He's not worth it."

Emmett remained silent for several long moments before finally asking, "Why'd he even think we were together anyway? I've had countless business meetings over dinner, and this has never happened."

Disappointment shot through Edward like an arrow killing its prey, landing right in the middle of Edward's heart. He'd hoped after spending so much time at the center, if Emmett were going to be upset it would be to stand up for what was right, to be disgusted that total strangers would throw around a word that would slice through the souls of the youth Edward, and now Emmett himself, fought so hard to protect every day. Edward cleared his throat. "Well, I'm not exactly in the closet. In fact, I'm about as far out of the closet as I could possibly be. I'm not saying I'm famous or anything, but the NOH8 poster my family did together is all over the place advertising H4H. It's not a huge leap."

Not taking his eyes off of his plate, Emmett nodded. "Right. You're right. That guy was stupid. Let's just forget about it."

Easier said than done. Emmett, back to all-business mode, pushed his half-eaten chicken sandwich away. "Ready to wrap this up and go home?" he asked.

Edward sat back in his seat and studied Emmett. If he'd any doubts about ending that kiss with Emmett, they were gone now. Edward had promised himself he'd never lie about who he was once his dad kicked him out, and starting something up with someone like Emmett was as good as stepping back into his own closet. Just as Edward was about to suggest maybe it was time to leave, Emmett finally spoke so quietly that Edward had to lean forward to catch it the second time. "What was that?"

"Don't you get tired of that shit?" Emmett picked up a french fry and broke it in half before tossing it back on his plate.

Edward contemplated his answer. This felt like a pretty huge moment, and Edward didn't want to cheat Emmett out of an honest answer.

"Sometimes," he nodded. "Some days a guy like that pretty much guarantees I'm eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's before bed. Other days, I can just let it roll off my back." He paused. "I'd be more disappointed in myself if I let them get to me every time, if I let them keep me down or change who I'm meant to be."

When Emmett spoke again, his voice was barely audible, but the words reverberated through Edward as if he'd just taken a swat at a huge gong. "That's good. The world needs more people like you."

"Thanks. That means a lot."

"So, does anything piss you off?" Emmett injected an air of levity into his tone as he pulled his plate close again and grabbed a fry, dipping it in ranch dressing and taking a bite.

"What're you talking about?" Edward laughed. "Of course I get pissed!"

Emmett finally lifted his eyes off his plate and smiled at Edward. "I've spent more time with you in the past three weeks than I think I ever have with someone outside of my family, and I haven't even seen you so much as raise your voice at those kids! It's a fair question."

Eager to keep the twinkle he so rarely saw in Emmett's ocean-blue eyes, even if it meant admitting to his anger, Edward leaned forward. "Okay, there is one thing I get quite a lot that really pisses me off. Ready?" Emmett nodded. "'You don't _look _gay!' I mean, what the hell is that, right? I can't like other men because I don't dress well enough or hold my hand a certain way?"

"Okay, so you get pissed, but I bet you never _act_ on it!"

Edward's smile faltered. No way was he going there tonight. "Not violently, no. My past is too fucked up for that shit. But this one girl, she was in my econ class junior year, wouldn't shut up about it. She was relentless. Alice said the girl must've thought if she said it enough I'd wake up one day, realize I was straight, and ask her out." Edward rolled his eyes. "So anyway, when I'd finally had enough of her badgering, I showed up, dressed like I would to go clubbing on a night I was feeling a little femme. Eyeliner, eye shadow, nails painted, tight shirt, and tighter pants. I sat down right next to her before class and with my best _gay_," Edward's fingers made quotes in the air, "voice said, 'Do I look gay now, girl?'"

Emmett snorted, choking on his fry. "She take the hint?"

"No! She thought I was lying to let her down easy, but she was so pissed off that I wouldn't just be honest with her that she left me alone anyway." Edward shook his head. "Most people aren't that obvious, but it still pisses me off. Every. Damn. Time. Like I really need to have makeup on to think you're hot."

Emmett didn't miss the not-so-Freudian slip but let it slide by without comment. No way was he touching the subject of their obvious physical attraction to each other again. Still, Edward had shared so many pieces of himself with Emmett, it was time to return the gesture. "Or how about people who think you aren't manly just because you're gay … or bi?" He didn't have the guts to face Edward, but Emmett sure as hell did his best to take in Edward's reaction from the corner of his eye . As soon as he saw Edward's warm smile of acceptance, the knot in Emmett's chest slowly unfurled, and Emmett finally felt like he could breathe again.

Edward leaned forward, closer to Emmett, nearly knocking over his glass of water in his excitement. "Yeah, but you know, at some point you have to chalk it up to ignorance, and do your best to educate the people around you. Anyone can look at H4H and see what's important to me. We offer kids a safe place to hang out where they don't have to worry about someone else judging them, and we do our best to educate the community. Sure, there are a lot of different ways we go about that, but in the end, all we're looking for is acceptance—not to be in the fun gay club or make straight people feel better by allowing them to say we're BFFs, but like me or don't like me for who I am, not who I want to be with. Besides, what makes a man 'manly' anyway? Power and prestige? Or strength and compassion? " Edward ticked off his fingers and paused, making sure Emmett was looking at him before he continued. "Doesn't really matter-you've got 'em all."

As usual, Edward dug to the core of the issue and ferreted out the perfect thing to say. Emmett had seen him do it with the kids at Hope, had even marveled at it and chalked it up to another reason everyone loved Edward. Having the uncanny knack turned on him, when he thought he'd been at least somewhat subtle in his confession, was as comforting as it was disconcerting. Deciding it was best to get home before he opened his big mouth again and blurted out something else embarrassing, Emmett suggested they head out. Edward quickly agreed and signaled for the ticket while checking his watch.

"Somewhere else to be?"

Sighing, Edward nodded. "I'm meeting Garrett for drinks at nine. I'm going to have to fly to get across town on time."

Emmett's heart leaped into his throat and stuck there. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was keeping you."

"No, you're fine," Edward sighed, checking his watch again. "I'm not really looking forward to it, to be honest. I have to end things with him tonight. I'm too distracted with everything else going on right now."

Emmett nodded, unsure of what to say, and finally came out with a very lame, "Sorry, man."

Shrugging, Edward quickly grabbed the check as soon as the waiter laid it on the table. "My treat."

Emmett's eyes widened. "Seriously? I don't think anyone's ever offered to pay for me before."

"Don't get used to it." Edward grinned. "Next time we're mistaken for being on a date when we're actually discussing purchasing the inn you've funded, you're totally paying."

Emmett snorted and shook his head. "You're such an ass."

"Man," Edward quipped. "I'm an ass _man_."

"That's good for me, then." The words were out of Emmett's mouth before he could stop them. Edward's head popped up, shock written all over his face. Emmett's mouth opened then closed again as he floundered for something to say, a way to take it back without being a total jackass.

Thankfully, Edward saved him with one of his I-put-everyone-at-ease smiles and simply nodded. "Sure is. Ready to go?"

As the two men stepped out into the cool night air, Emmett took a deep breath, doing his best to clear his mind. He still hadn't decided how he felt about anything that had happened tonight. The asshole stranger had pissed him off, no doubt about that, but he wasn't quite sure where his anger stemmed from-outraged at the foul word in general or outraged because someone had pegged him for what he was. His talk with Edward had helped, but the intimate discussion and peek into Edward's life roiled in Emmett's stomach like a vat of spoiled yogurt. And what the hell was that at the end of dinner? Had he actually been flirting with the man? He hadn't actually _flirted _with a man since … well, it'd been a while.

Emmett nudged Edward with his elbow and cleared his throat and mumbled. "Thanks for the talk. I know I'm not forthcoming about much personal shit, but there's a lot of people depending on me, and some private things are just better left private."

Edward's steps faltered at Emmett's confession. It was vague enough to leave him with twenty more questions, but he knew he wouldn't be getting any more answers tonight. The distraught look on Emmett's face was all the confirmation he needed. "Don't mention it. And seriously, anytime you want to talk, you know how to reach me."

Emmett laughed, but Edward heard no humor in it. "Okay, let's not play the psych game. Go do whatever you have to do with Garrett."

Groaning, Edward opened the door to his truck. "I can't imagine he'll take it too hard. We've barely seen each other. You coming by the center tomorrow?"

"I will if my damn HR manager doesn't corner me again."

"Sounds good." Edward held his fist out, offering an awkward handshake goodbye , and climbed into his truck.

Twenty minutes later, Edward walked into Bentley's only a few minutes late. Garrett was already sitting at the bar, beer bottle in hand and chatting animatedly with the bartender. The sight made Edward smile. The guy could talk to anyone, and not for the first time he wished things had turned out differently. He'd been so hopeful after their first date, but he knew if he wasn't willing by now to make sacrifices to spend time with Garrett, it was probably never going to happen.

Garrett turned in mid-sentence, obviously keeping an eye out for Edward, and waved him over. "Hey! I was just telling Charlie about the mastiff that got loose today while one of the volunteers was walking her. It was like a scene right out of a comedy! The poor girl was dragged around for fifteen feet before she finally let go of the leash."

"So, did you ever get her back?" the bartender asked, clearly amused by the story.

"Oh yeah. The dog just has no clue how big she is, but she's a sweetheart. She only wanted to play, but because of her size, very few people take her out. As soon as she saw me, though, she came bounding over. Knocked me flat on my ass, but at least she couldn't drag me around!'

Edward laughed along with the bartender, who slinked away quietly after pouring Edward's beer.

"So," Garrett began, "you and Emmett get a lot done?"

"Enough, I guess." Edward bit back the urge to dissect his and Emmett's conversation with Garrett. Besides the fact that he was about to tell the man they shouldn't date anymore, it would've felt like he was betraying Emmett. "I can't believe we're closing next week. It's still a little surreal."

"Well, congratulations. I'm really proud of you, and you've worked so hard for it over the past few weeks." Garrett smiled and patted Edward's knee, leaving his hand there as he took a sip of his drink.

By the look on Garrett's face, it was clear to Edward he was telling the truth. Garrett really was proud of him.

Edward smiled weakly and looked down into his beer mug, shifting slightly toward the bar and out of Garrett's reach. He'd thought it was subtle enough, and he'd have a few more moments to gather his composure, but Garrett's shoulders dropped immediately.

"Right," he sighed. "I'd kinda hoped you were telling me the truth all of those times you cancelled on me."

"What?" Edward looked at Garrett in disbelief. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I assume we're breaking up … or whatever it's called when you're never really together to begin with." Edward's guilty face must've given him away because Garrett continued without waiting for an answer. "It just would've been nice if you'd been honest and told me you had feelings for someone else."

"Someone else?" Disbelief rang through Edward's words.

"I'm not stupid. Please don't treat me like I am. You've seen him almost every day since you met and cancelled on me for him twice. I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt because I understood since he donated a shitload of money to the center, but obviously I was wrong." Garrett signaled for the bartender and pulled out his wallet.

"Emmett?" Edward's mouth gaped. "You think this is about Emmett?"

"You think it's not?" Garrett countered.

"He's straight!" Edward knew that wasn't true, but Garrett didn't. Besides, Edward was still so completely unnerved by Garrett's accusation, it was the first thing that rolled off of his tongue. Edward had never told Garrett about his and Emmett's rocky start. They'd only had a couple of dates at that point, and once he and Emmett had finally set the record straight, Emmett had been nothing but a consummate professional.

"Oh, I think we both know that's not entirely true. And if you don't know, you better figure it out fast, or you're in for a world of hurt." Garrett threw down a twenty; his business card lay on top. "Thanks, Charlie. If you're really interested in adopting that mastiff, let me know. She doesn't have much longer, and she's too sweet to be put down. Keep the change."

Charlie nodded and pocketed the card as Garrett turned to leave, but before he could walk away, Edward grabbed his arm. "Can you hold on for one damn second, please? I get you're upset with me, but can I at least apologize?"

"What's there to apologize for exactly?"

"Nothing! I just mean…" Edward struggled to find the right words. How could he explain it to Garrett when he didn't even understand it himself? He sighed. "Look, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I really did enjoy our first date, and I hoped we'd be able to work things out. I just think I'm too busy and too emotionally drained to invest in any relationship. But I swear to you nothing happened between Emmett and me after tha-"

Garrett's eyes widened and Edward realized that he was about to confess the transgression he never even really committed. "Right. Like I said. Good luck with the inn, Edward. I really do think what you're doing is amazing."

Edward's shoulders dropped as he watched Garrett walk out of the bar. He slouched down on his stool and stared at the door, doing his best to organize and identify all of the emotions eating away at him. He couldn't remember being this confused since he was eleven and inadvertently came out to his mom. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but when the bartender not-so-nonchalantly cleared his throat behind him, Edward turned and paid his tab before wandering outside, wanting nothing more than to collapse in bed and sleep through tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N: Aww... Poor Garrett. *searches for someone to hook him up with b/c he's too cute to be alone***

**Big, huge tackle hugs to born, intricacy, les, and yummy for pre-reading. We had some strong feelings amongst the group for this chapter so it was extra fun! Chaya is so good to me that she didn't even complain when I sent her my very first, very rough, draft to beta instead of the one I was supposed to send her, making her beta me twice. THANK YOU, CHAYA! Mooshy hugs to Jordan, who helped me brainstorm and then made sure my words were kosher. Love all you guys, hard!**

**Want to help out locally? (replace * with period) **

www*lgbtcenters*org/centers/find-a-center*aspx

**I actually find this list quite disheartening … there are so few in so many states. I have a friend who's not letting these circumstances hold him back and would encourage the same for everyone who's looking to help. If there's nothing close to you, check out fortytonone*org to help out on a larger scale or find out what it'll take to start something near you.**

**Thanks, everyone! See you in a week or two!**

**xoxo**

**shell**


	7. Chapter 7 - Two Steps Back

**A/N: I tried to answer reviews, but I updated right before FFN took a sick day. If you didn't get a reply, it's because your review came across as guest. If you have a question, just ask me again! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**H4H**

"Thanks for reminding me about these, Shelly." Edward yawned as he slid a stack of resumes across the welcome desk.

"Anytime, sweetie. Last thing I want is to have that inn ready for occupancy and no staff to run it."

"Aw, come on. I wouldn't have waited that long!" Edward couldn't help laughing when Shelly cut her eyes at him and huffed. "Okay, maybe I would have, so thank you again. Can you call the three on top to come in for an interview next Tuesday? But keep the rest of the applications in case these guys don't work out."

She nodded and tsked Edward when he yawned again. "Late night?"

He grinned at Shelly, knowing she was fishing but _so _not ready to talk about anything that happened last night yet. "Just couldn't sleep. Probably too excited about the idea of a completely free weekend!"

"You best enjoy it. I suspect once you close on that inn Monday, you'll be eating, sleeping, and drinking this place."

Edward's smile grew. "For a while, yeah. But it'll be worth it when it finally comes together. I still can't believe it's actually happening."

The bell above the door jingled, and when Edward saw the huge ball of wrath headed his way, he wished he'd been keeping a closer eye on the door so he could've hidden from her. Alice marched through the door, Prada bag on her shoulder, eyes narrowed, and mouth pinched together. She managed to unfreeze her sour face long enough to spare Mrs. Cope a small smile before pointing to Edward's office without saying a word. With a soft groan, Edward's forehead hit the top of the reception desk.

"Good luck with that one," Shelly whispered. "I don't know what you did, but you may want to remind her the walls are thin!"

Edward winced before following his sister into his office and closing the door behind them.

"So … I guess Garrett called Irina?"

"What the hell, Edward?"

"What!"

"She said you were cheating on Garrett with Emmett!"

"What?"

"You tell me!"

Edward plopped down on the old couch in his office, flung his head back, and rubbed his face with his hands. "Alice, I slept like shit last night, and I'm really tired. Can you please be less vague? You know I didn't cheat on Garrett. Hell, we weren't even really together!"

"He told her that you ended things between the two of you last night after you admitted something was going on with Emmett." Edward opened his eyes and studied his sister. He could tell by the tone in her voice that she was more hurt at being left out than angry with him for whatever he supposedly did. There was no one in the world he was closer to than Alice. She'd been the first real friend he'd ever had and never once shown him anything but love, even when he was still struggling to find his way and often acted like a little shit. They literally told each other everything.

"Ali," he began, using the name he'd started calling her when they were teenagers just to piss her off. No one else was allowed to call her that, and Edward knew she'd secretly grown to love it. "Nothing happened between Emmett and me after that first kiss. We had dinner last night, but we discussed work most of the evening. Besides, when some asshole decided to try and take us down a notch by calling us faggots, I thought Emmett was going to legit have a coronary. There is no way that man is looking for anything more than a one-night fuck from a man, and you know that is not my scene."

Alice's eyes were wide. "Well, what the hell was Irina talking about?"

Closing his eyes again, Edward sighed. "I don't know. I mean, I did meet Garrett last night with the intention of ending things. You know I wasn't really feeling it with him anymore. I must've been acting weird because he figured it out right away, before I even said anything. He assumed it was because of Emmett, but I swear, I hardly said a word. And when I did open my big mouth, I blurted out something about that stupid kiss with Emmett a few weeks back. He was halfway out the door the second he realized I wanted to break it off between us, though, and I never got the chance to explain."

The couch shifted next to Edward, and two small arms wrapped around his shoulders. "I'm sorry," Alice murmured. "I shouldn't have assumed the worst, but I had no idea you were planning to break up with him. Of course I knew it wasn't all rainbows and unicorns, but your first date went so well. I thought once you weren't so busy, you'd get excited about him again."

"We both know I would've made time for him if I'd wanted to." Edward sighed.

Alice adjusted herself until she was sitting beside her brother, then circled Edward's arm with both of hers and laid her head on his shoulder. They sat like that for several long, quiet moments before she finally broke the silence. "So, how exactly did Emmett flip out at dinner?"

Edward groaned. "Acted like he was going to fight the guy right in the middle of Chili's, then wondered why the douche even thought he was gay."

Alice surprised Edward by defending Emmett. "Maybe he just finds the term offensive. He's been spending so much time over here, I don't know how he'd remain indifferent to the word. I'd bet just about anything I have that Seth or Ri wouldn't question that he'd taken offense at anyone using the term in general."

Edward swallowed. Like he hadn't already thought of that possibility, and every other possibility, a million times. Garrett, whether he'd really meant to or not, had given Edward a lot to think about.

Edward wasn't dumb. He knew he and Emmett had enough sexual energy between the two of them to power all of Woodstock, but that didn't mean it was a good idea to jump into bed with the guy. Thoughts of their kiss right outside in the dark parking lot rolled freely through his mind now that he didn't have to feel guilty about them, and then, because life was too cruel, he'd see the anger written all over Emmett's face when he'd stood up to retaliate against the idiot from last night.

He'd tossed and turned all night, analyzing and then reanalyzing the events of the evening. As soon as he thought he had a grasp on Emmett's reaction at Chili's, Garrett's words would flash through his mind, and Edward would dissect every word again. Pushing both conversations out of his head proved to be pointless because as soon as his mind was clear, he'd started worrying about why he was so twisted up to begin with. Thus began the never-ending cycle that lasted until dawn when Edward finally passed out from pure exhaustion.

Shaking his head, Edward looked at his sister. "I don't know what to think anymore, and honestly, I'm too tired to care at this point."

**H4H**

With only two bars in Woodstock, nightlife had always been pretty tame. Richardson's catered mostly to tourists, so locals usually frequented Bentley's, but Edward had no desire to return there just two days after his disastrous conversation with Garrett. When his friend Demetri called and invited him out for drinks with him and his husband, Alec, Edward asked if they could go to Richardson's for a change of scenery.

After several hours of drinking and laughing with his friends, Edward felt relaxed and more than a little buzzed, and he had to piss. He excused himself from their corner booth and was surprised to see a full restaurant when he turned around. The bar was packed, and nearly every table was full. A few brave—or maybe just drunk from the looks of it—souls had made their way to the makeshift dance floor, and Edward found himself moving in time to the music as he made his way to the bathroom.

After taking care of business and washing his hands, Edward checked himself over in the mirror, wondering if he could have one more drink before switching to water. Demetri had picked him up, so he didn't have to worry about driving home, but it was his last free weekend before who knew how long. The purchase of the inn would keep his nights and weekends hectic until the doors were officially opened, and he didn't really want to spend his last free day nursing a hangover.

Deciding one more wouldn't hurt, Edward tossed his paper towel in the trash and headed back into the crowded restaurant. A slow song was playing, and a few more couples had gotten up to dance, forcing Edward to walk around the edge of the dance floor. He would've missed seeing Emmett completely if he hadn't heard a hushed, "Isn't that the guy from the fundraiser we went to last month?"

Snapping his head to the left, Edward's eyes widened as he took in Emmett sitting next to the same blonde he'd brought to the fundraiser. Sitting across from them, looking as uptight and out of place as possible in their expensive designer suits, was an older couple Edward immediately recognized as Emmett's parents. Emmett's arm rested on the back of the booth behind his date. Edward tried to recall her name and then struggled to remember if Emmett had ever even introduced them. She was pressed up against Emmett so closely, Edward doubted a piece of paper would've fit between them. She at least had the decency to blush at being caught talking about him.

Emmett merely offered Edward a curt nod before picking up his highball glass and taking a swig of the dark liquor inside without acknowledging his date's comment. Edward nodded back dumbly and tried not trip over his own feet when he started to move away.

"Fundraiser?"

The senior McCarty's voice, and the good manners Esme had finally managed to ingrain in him, forced Edward to take a step back to their table.

"Yes, sir," he said, offering the man a smile and holding out his hand. "I'm Edward Masen."

"You're the one my son donated so much of our money to a while back, right? What's your charity again?"

Right. No need to introduce himself—it's not like everyone in Woodstock didn't know who he was.

"Home for Hope, sir. We're a non-profit organization that—"

"Helps at-risk youth," Emmett interrupted.

Edward snapped his mouth shut and stared at Emmett incredulously.

"Ah, that's right. Emmett spoke very highly of you and your organization. I'm glad we ran into you. It takes a lot to impress my son."

Emmett's eyes remained on his highball glass, studiously ignoring Edward's stare and slowly swirling the drink around the bottom of the glass while his father spoke. "I'm so glad to hear that," Edward said, dragging his eyes back to Mr. McCarty. "I can't tell how you thrilled H4H was to receive such a generous donation from McCarty Steel."

Mr. McCarty laughed. "Generous indeed! I must admit, I was surprised to learn the amount, but Emmett assured me you were a sound investment. And of course, now that you've reminded me, we're always happy to help our youth."

"Well, thank you again. I should probably get back to my friends, but it was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. McCarty, and of course, it was nice to see you again." Edward said, addressing Emmett and his still-nameless date.

Edward's stomach churned as he made his way back to his own table. He'd suspected Emmett's father was in the dark about Emmett's personal donation to H4H, but he had no idea the man didn't even know where the business funds had gone. Granted, it was none of Edward's business how the two men ran McCarty Steel, but he'd been under the impression that while Emmett was being groomed to take over and was trusted to make most of the decisions, his father still kept his fingers in most of the pots. He couldn't believe Emmett had lied to his father about H4H. Edward knew Emmett didn't answer to him, owed him no explanations on his personal life, but the entire conversation left Edward feeling hurt, betrayed, and even embarrassed. Deciding his night was over, Edward stopped by the bar and asked for a water before returning to his booth.

"Were you just talking to the McCartys?" Alec asked before Edward's ass even touched the seat. His eyes were wide, and he looked a little awestruck. Not that Edward blamed him—the McCarty's had employed half the residents of Woodstock at one time or another. They were also never seen out at establishments like Richardson's. Only the best of the best for the McCartys.

"Yeah." Edward dragged out the word. "Why?"

"I didn't realize you knew them. No wonder we haven't seen you in months!" Demetri joked.

Edward took a sip of his water and shifted in his seat, his conversation with Emmett almost a month ago rushing back to him. He hadn't been surprised when Emmett had asked to remain anonymous as a condition of donating the remaining funds to purchase the inn, but he also hadn't expected the man to become a semi-permanent fixture at H4H. Emmett's actions within those four walls had fooled Edward into believing that he'd wanted to remain anonymous simply to be selfless. Now though … now it felt dirty and shameful. He couldn't even tell two of his closest friends how he ended up obtaining the single most exciting accomplishment of his life. And was he supposed to keep the fact that Emmett volunteered at H4H quiet, too?

Forcing a smile on his face, Edward answered. "I met Emmett at the H4H fundraiser last month. He made a sizeable donation on behalf of McCarty Steel. He was with the same girl that night, and she recognized me as I was walking by. Can't say I really know them."

"Wow. He doesn't often take the same girl out more than once. He must like this one," Demetri mused, peering around Edward.

"Guess so. I wouldn't really know." Edward drained his water and looked at his friends. "I think I'm about ready to head home. If you guys want to stay, I'll just call a cab."

Alec shook his head as he signaled their waitress. "Nah, we were just saying we were ready to go, too."

Edward kept his head down as they headed toward the door, not even daring to look toward the McCartys' table and risk being ignored by someone he'd thought of as a friend. As he stepped outside, a quiet chuff escaped his mouth, and he realized the following week was going to be pure hell. Emmett had taken off half of the week to deal with closing, help interview applicants for the two positions opening the inn would require, and finalize the remodeling plans. Suddenly, the days Edward had been looking forward to more than anything for weeks, he now dreaded.

**H4H**

Edward spent most of Sunday cleaning his home. He wasn't a neat-freak by any means, but he liked to keep his apartment tidy enough that it could be company-ready within twenty minutes. He kept his kitchen pretty clean and did his best not to leave random objects lying around. Still, he'd been so busy at work lately that he'd neglected some of the deeper cleaning. By the time he'd finished scrubbing, vacuuming, and dusting, he was disdainfully eyeing the pile of dirty laundry shoved in the corner while he ate a late lunch. Once he finished eating, Edward decided to take a little break before tackling the laundry and stretched out on his couch to read. He'd been so engrossed in his book, he jumped when his phone rang.

When he saw Emmett's name pop up on the screen, his heart stopped, and he stared at the phone while it continued to sing to him. He'd been half-waiting on the call from Emmett all day, sure that he'd be withdrawing his donation. The money was already in H4H's bank account, so he was pretty sure Emmett couldn't just demand it back, but the paperwork wasn't being handled until Monday. Technically, Emmett could still call the whole thing off, and after what happened last night, Edward wasn't even sure he'd be surprised at this point.

Finally, deciding he needed to just answer and get it over with, Edward's finger swiped across the screen.

"Hello."

"_Hey, Edward. It's Emmett."_

Well, this wasn't awkward at all. Edward couldn't remember the last time they'd actually announced themselves on the phone.

"Uh, yeah, I know. Can I help you with something?"

"_I just wanted to make sure everything was all set for tomorrow."_

"As far as I know, unless you know something I don't."

"_No_—_no. Not at all. Just didn't want to show up unprepared."_

"Right. I understand. Well, nothing's changed on my end." Edward closed his eyes and resisted beating his head against the armrest of the couch. If that wasn't the biggest lie ever, he didn't know what was.

"_Good to hear. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."_

"Yep. I'll be there."

**H4H**

Emmett stared at his phone for a moment after Edward hung up on him without saying goodbye. On the one hand, he was pretty sure he deserved it for cutting Edward off and covering up the fact that H4H catered to LGBT youth. On the other hand, he was still clinging to the sad truth that he'd made zero promises to Edward beyond donating his money and expertise. Just because he'd made a connection with a couple of the kids at the center and had become somewhat friendly with the owner didn't mean he owed them an explanation about anything else in his life. He knew his dad would become suspicious if he found out to whom Home for Hope catered, so when Emmett had gone over the donation with him, he'd been careful not to mention the name of the center. Instead, he focused on how Edward had started the organization from scratch and had managed to grow every year, becoming one of the top LGBT shelters in New England.

He just left the LGBT part out.

Emmett McCarty Sr. was a good man, a shrewd businessman, and a caring and attentive father for the most part. He had worked alongside his own father to build McCarty Steel from nothing and knew the value and importance of helping those less fortunate. While he'd encouraged Emmett to play sports in school and had attended games when he could, he'd always made it quite clear that he intended to hand his business over to his son, and Emmett's first priority should always be toward reaching that goal.

Emmett had been more than okay with that plan, and when he'd fallen in love the summer between his junior and senior year of high school, Emmett knew he'd found the perfect person to spend his life with while following in his father's footsteps. He may have been a little apprehensive about telling his parents he'd fallen for a guy, but who wouldn't be? It never crossed his mind that something so inconsequential as who had stolen his heart would make a difference to the man.

Too bad he'd had to find out the hard way.

**H4H**

Emmett walked into the bank five minutes before the closing the following morning. Edward had texted him first thing, saying they needed to meet there instead of riding over together because his plans had changed and he'd be across town until just before their appointment. Emmett supposed he could've been telling the truth, but it was a pretty huge coincidence. Resigned to an uncomfortable meeting, Emmett sat down in the chair next to Edward while they waited.

"You ready?" Emmett asked.

"Yep," Edward chirped. "Not much could make this day better."

Emmett cringed, not missing the subtle dig or the falseness in Edward's tone.

"Listen ... about the other night—"

Edward held up his hand, halting Emmett's speech, and finally raised his eyes to meet Emmett's. "You don't owe me anything. You don't want your father to know how you spend your time and money. It's none of my business."

"But it's not as simple as that—"

"It never is, Emmett. Best not to forget what I do for a living. I've heard it all. I can promise you that."

Emmett opened his mouth to argue again but couldn't find the right words. Edward was right. There'd been plenty of instances over the past several weeks where Emmett could've let Edward in, told him about his past … Felix … his guilt. Instead of sharing something real about himself to someone who would actually get it, someone who would actually care, he'd stuck to business as usual. Why should Edward give him a chance to explain now? He experienced worse stories than Emmett's all the time; Emmett was sure the last thing Edward wanted to do was to pull teeth to get his own fucked-up past out of him, especially after Emmett had been so rude.

"Look," Edward sighed. "I don't mean to be callous, but maybe this isn't the best time for this, okay? Right now, I just need you to do what you do best, and be the business guy. Make sure the bank hasn't screwed us, and we didn't miss anything. Can you do that?"

"Yeah," Emmett nodded. "No problem."

Edward took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Thank you."

Jasper, acting as H4H's financial advisor, walked in with H4H's lawyer a moment later, saving them from any further awkward conversation, and within minutes, they were called back to finally start the process.

Going over all of the paperwork and watching Edward sign his name about a hundred times lasted over an hour, but everything checked out perfectly. Emmett had never seen Edward's smile so huge as when the keys were finally pushed across the table. When they reached the parking lot, Carlisle, Esme, and Alice were waiting for them, each holding a balloon. Alice wasted no time, bounding up to her brother and throwing her arms around him in what could only be called a massive tackle hug. Edward laughed as he caught her mid-flight and squeezed her tight before setting her down and turning her over to her husband.

Esme, with tears brimming in her eyes, was next. Edward wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair. The moment was so intimate, Emmett felt guilty watching but found he couldn't turn away. Tears fell freely down Esme's cheeks, and Edward must have been whispering something to her because every few moments, Esme would nod her head or laugh through her tears. Esme finally released her grip on Edward and handed him off to Carlisle. This time, when Emmett saw Edward swipe the tears away from his own eyes as his foster father embraced him, Emmett forced himself to look away.

Taking a deep breath to steady his emotions, Emmett started toward his car, wanting to leave Edward with his family to celebrate, when a small hand landed on his arm.

"Oh no," Alice chided. "You're not getting away that easily!" Before he could protest, Alice's arms circled Emmett's waist, and she pressed her head against his chest. "Thank you. I realize we've only said like ten words to each other, and this is probably really uncomfortable for you, but this is a dream come true for our family, for Edward, and we'd still be a long way off from making this happen if it weren't for you. So, you have to endure me invading your personal space for the next five seconds."

Wrapping his arms around Alice, Emmett smiled. "I think I can handle that … for the next five seconds."

Laughing, Alice pulled back. "Well, look at that. You do have a sense of humor. I was starting to believe my brother was making it up."

Emmett looked down at the ground, hoping she didn't notice the blush he felt creeping up his cheeks. "Yeah, well, I guess I better get to the office."

"Nope!" Alice grabbed his hand, stopping him. "We're surprising Edward back at H4H with a little shindig, and you're going to be there. He'd be upset if you weren't, so I refuse to take no for an answer."

Clearly, Edward hadn't told his sister what happened Saturday night, which was more than a little surprising. He knew how close they were, but she was already pulling him toward the rest of the group. His eyes met Edward's red-rimmed ones as they walked up, and Emmett cringed when Edward offered him a small smile that fell flat almost as quickly as it appeared. One thing was for sure—it was going to be one hell of a surprise party.

* * *

**A/N: I'm **_**so**_** judging you, Emmett. Hard.**

**Big thanks to the people who make me better! Born, Intricacy, Jordan (His birthday is tomorrow—leave him some love!), Les, and Yummy are so, so supportive but not afraid to kick my ass when I need it. They've also agreed to protect Emmett and me if someone starts throwing things. I'm such a lucky girl. Chaya is the best beta ever. She does so much more than cross my t's and dot my i's. Again … lucky girl.**

**Looking for support? September is Suicide Prevention Month. The bravest thing you can do is get help... ****bornthiswayfoundation*org/pages/our-mission/ **

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**Thank you guys so much for all the love you've shown this story. I fell in love with it before I wrote the first word and knowing you guys are enjoying it really means a lot.**

**xoxo  
shell**


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